The Quiet Ones
by Jetom
Summary: The Scouts are surprised to find that they are not in fact the only inhabitants of their castle, but who are the strange pair? Where did they come from? When did they arrive? And how on earth did they survive until their discovery? This is the first fanfic I have ever tried writing-all comments and suggestions welcome! :D I do not own SNK, only my OC
1. Chapter 1

Nobody knew where the scruffy pair had come from, or even when they had first appeared. The scouts had been living in the castle for two weeks before anyone noticed the presence of the extra inhabitants, at least until the morning when Captain Levi had come into the stables earlier than usual to check on one of the horses which had been injured on one of the new cadet training exercises. Rounding the corner of the stall, the fastidious man had been stunned at the sight which had greeted him in the pre-dawn murk, stopping short and staring with uncharacteristic astonishment.

Due to his usually quiet tread, at first his presence went unnoticed as he simply stared at the odd tableaux before him. A child was standing before the normally aggressive charger, gently stroking its nose with one hand whilst presenting a sugar cube with the other. Dubbed 'the clean freak captain' he could only gape at the appearance of this strange kid. Seeming to be around nine years old, it was impossible to tell from the tangled hair and loose, filthy clothing whether it was a boy or girl. Hell, his only clue it was even human was the fact the apparition was standing on two legs.

Its companion on the other hand was some form of shaggy haired mongrel, curled up at the child's feet. For a brief moment he stood unobserved in astonished silence, then suddenly the dog apparently caught his scent and bolted up right, growling aggressively as it stood in front of the urchin, hackles raised. Startled, the kid jerked its head around, eyes widening as they saw the officer standing in the doorway.

No words were said, but Levi noticed the widening of the eyes, tensing of the shoulders, shifting of the feet as the child went into fight or flight mode. And unexpectedly, Levi felt somehow bad for intruding. He had a thousand questions but bit them back, not wanting to spook the kid further, and slowly raised his hands with open palms as a sign of peace.

"Easy there, I don't mean any harm…" he kept his voice low and soft, cautiously taking a single step forward, the freezing as the dog peeled its lips back into a snarl. The child said nothing, but rested its hand on the scruff of the animal's neck. Taking that as a sign of encouragement, the Captain gently started edging closer again, able to get a slightly clearer look at the ragamuffin and inwardly wincing at the sheer level of dirtiness. The kid was intently examining him as well, grey-blue eyes glaring from beneath a matted fringe of hair whose colour was unclear through the grime.

Step by step, Levi drew closer, making sure to seem as non-threatening as possible. He knew what the kid was probably thinking, he had experienced a similar situation once from its perspective, so long ago in a time when he called darkened tunnels home. And so, when he got within about a meter of the duo, he stopped, waiting. The child was hesitating, uncertain of what to do.

"Come on now, you know I am not a threat to you. I'm not angry to find you here or anything, although I would very much like to know how you got here. But first, how about you come with me and we can find you some breakfast?" It seemed his soft rambling was having the desired effect, the tension in the air easing slightly as the child very slowly took a small shuffle towards him.

"Captain! Captain Levi- you in here? I was sent by Petra to tell you-" Eren's yelling as he came into the stable caused both of them to jump, and like an arrow from a bow the kid spun around and sprinted to the back of the room, it and the dog vanishing into one of the empty stalls.

"Dammit Jaeger! What the bloody hell are you thinking charging around and screaming like that you little shit?!" his tone was biting as he whirled on his subordinate who just stared at him in shock.  
"Umm, Captain… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or anything…"  
"Not me you sodding moron! You just freaked the hell out of that kid."  
"Kid? There was a kid in here? Are… are you sure you feel alright, sir?"

The glare Levi shot him was filled with even more disgust than his customary expression, which meant a hell of a lot of hatred being directed at the cadet, who actually gulped.  
"Shut it Jaeger." He went stalking down the stalls as he spoke, "there is apparently a child on this base, and a dog. They ran down here and-" He stopped short at the sight which greeted him as he came upon- the empty stall at the end of the row. Nobody was there, no child, no dog, just a pile of hay in one corner and an empty water bucket in the other.

A blink was the only reaction he allowed himself before he spun back around to the now thoroughly confused rookie. Eren just stood there, watching him with apparent worry for his officer's sanity as the shorter man strode past and started heading over to the usual muster point for his squad, before belatedly scurrying after his superior.

As he walked, Levi thought through the bizarre scene which he had just experienced, almost convinced that it had all been some strange hallucination. Perhaps shitty glasses was right and the chemicals from his cleaning supplies were making him go mad. He shook his head slightly, no, that kid had been real, and he knew it. But how had they vanished like that? The assembled squad stood to attention as he approached, the new recruits who had gathered on parade behind them taking a moment longer to register his presence before they too straightened up, Eren hurrying over to take his usual place in line.

With his trade mark cool headedness, Levi realised that no one would believe him if he said that there was a child with a dog hiding somewhere in the castle. It was pretty impressive that they had stayed concealed for so long- the castle had been cleaned from top to bottom three times without anyone suspecting that they were not alone as residents. Even as he delegated tasks to the troops and sent the rookies to the sparring grounds for practice, he kept turning over the surprise encounter. Eventually he decided that all he could do for now was wait: he knew to be on the lookout, and it was only a matter of time before their paths crossed again.


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of days later, Levi still hadn't seen any sign of the kid or its canine companion, and had almost started to think he had imagined the whole episode. Despite his resolution to keep looking for them, the antics of the new scouts kept him almost constantly busy as he tried to keep them in line and resist the urge to throttle some of them. Erwin just grinned quietly at the constantly scowling Captain as he put the cadets through their paces, trying to mould them into something resembling competent which might survive the next mission. His own squad could sense that something was bothering him, but just put it down to the incorrigible recruits who seemed to be just as much trouble as their titan-shifting squad mate.

Then one afternoon there was an incident during 3DMG practice, when a gear malfunction sent one of the rookies, Sasha if Levi remembered right, plummeting to the ground where she landed in a heap. For a second nobody moved, staring at her still form, before half the new recruits went shooting down to her side. Shouting erupted as they all tried to help at once, before Hanji took control, approaching the limp girl and quickly assessing her injuries whilst Levi corralled the recruits.

"Ackerman, Arlert, go to the infirmary and make sure there is a bed ready. Can she be moved? In that case Kirstein, Springer and Jaeger carry her there- carefully! I don't want to have to clear up an unnecessary amount of shit if you drop her on the way. Petra, Eld, take over the rest of today's session."

By the time they made it up to the infirmary, Sasha was starting to come around, moaning and muttering as the laid her on the freshly made bed. Her friends crowded around, calling her and encouraging her to open her eyes. Hanji pushed through them all, checking pulse and breathing, then running into her lab which was the adjoining room and returning with a luminous substance in a tube which she shone into the girl's eyes.

Levi was looking around the room, nose wrinkling in faint disgust. "Damn shitty glasses, whatever you are cooking up in that festering lab of yours is pretty powerful. I can smell it from here."  
She looked at him in confusion for a moment, and was about to speak when Sasha groaned, eyes fluttering open and focusing slowly on her surroundings.

Her friends leaned in, Connie speaking first, "Hey, you ok? How are you feeling?" the response he received was a rather loud growling from her stomach, at which Jean and Jaeger started sniggering before glaring at each other's response.  
"Alright you lot, you can see she will be fine. Time to get back to training, you can visit her later." He was shooing them out the door even as the girl waved groggily at them all and they promised to bring her some food later. Just as the door closed, he caught another whiff of that strange smell. God, that lab must be really toxic… perhaps it should be moved further away from sick soldiers…

Later that evening he was just sitting down to a cup of his favourite tea when Arlert came bursting into his office. "Tch, did no one ever teach you to knock soldier?"  
"Sorry sir, but there is a problem and Hanji told me to get you. It involves Eren and…"  
"Crap, what did that brat do now?"  
Levi didn't wait for the blonde to answer, setting down his cup and straightening his cravat as he strode down the corridor.

When he arrived, it was to see Jaeger being held back by Mikasa and Hanji, whilst Connie and Petra were similarly restraining Kirstein. As he drew closer he caught some of the words being shouted across, Eren yelling "don't you dare insult her" whilst Jean was hollering something about "you are even more nuts than she is and that is saying a hell of a lot".

Tutting, he moved between the two demanding an explanation for all the noise. The two boys were still growling at each other, so Mikasa spoke up: "Sorry sir, there was a disagreement over Sasha and it got a bit out of hand."  
"What, you both fancy the girl or something?" from the corner of his eye he say Arlert stiffen as Mikasa shot a deadly glare at her superior.  
Eren piped up first, "He was calling her crazy, when it is obvious she was injured and-"  
"Oh come on you know Potato Girl has always been nuts, now it is just more apparent how cracked she has become."  
"Why you-" Eren lunged forwards again, spittle flying from his lips.  
"That is just disgusting, brat. Pull yourself together already. Now I am only going to ask once more, and this time you had better give me a straight answer: what happened?"

This time Hanji spoke, "apparently Sasha was overheard talking to herself, or possibly hallucinating. That second one would be far more interesting of course, as I have some theories about the nature of such things and how they speak to the inner person as it were. I would love to know what she is imagining and how that is related either to her injury or-"  
"Enough, I get the picture."

Pushing past the still babbling scientist, he opened the door to the room, and stopped short. Sasha was sitting up in bed, a near empty food tray on her lap, chattering away into apparently empty air.  
"So, that was how I ended up with this huge lump of potato stuck right on my… oh hello Captain Levi, sir." She beamed at him, the expression making her look a bit deranged sure, but no more than usual.

"Braus… how are you feeling?"  
"Me sir? Fine, although hungry still… hey- are the rest of you out there? Any chance you have some more food?"  
"What?" Connie's head poked around the corner, "I brought you a whole tray like an hour ago."  
"Yeah, but I didn't get to eat all of it, it would have been rude not to share after all."  
"Share?"  
Everyone was looking in now, at the room apparently empty except for her sitting on her bed. Jean raised an eyebrow and snickered, "told you she had lost it."

Hanji barged into the room, running over with a book and pen already scribbling down notes. "Share? So you like whoever it is you are seeing? Have you met them before? What do they look like?"  
Sasha stared at the scientist warily, "What do you mean? Just look for yourself."  
"Umm, well, I…" She seemed stumped by the response, trying for once to figure out a way to ask delicately. Sasha just raised an eyebrow and pointed down, "Just go easy ok? Don't want to scare them."  
Nodding sagely, Hanji knelt on the floor and looked obligingly under the bed. Suddenly she jerked back upright and with wide eyes. "Umm, Levi could you come over here for a second."

Motioning for the rest of the cadets to stay put, he strode over to the bed, crossing his arms and making a disgusted face as Hanji kept motioning for him to join her on the floor. Eventually he acquiesced, although made sure to spread a handkerchief on the floorboards first, looking under the bed.

A huge pair of blue-grey eyes and a smaller pair of brown ones stared back at him.  
"Hello again." He kept his voice quiet, motioning for Hanji to move back- her regular facial expressions could be unsettling even for those who already knew her well, and he didn't need her to freak the kid out anymore.

"Do you want to come out?" a small headshake was his only response. "Are you sure? It can't be very comfortable for you right now."  
Sasha's voice came from directly above, "It's ok, these guys aren't going to hurt you… and if you want, I have a bit more bread which I could share?"  
The eyes flickered with interest, and Levi gestured with one hand. "Come on, I promise nobody here is a threat- some of these brats are kind of thick, but none of them are dangerous."

There was a long pause, the only sound a slight creaking as the cadets tried desperately to see who he was talking to, and then a slight nod. The Captain shifted back and stood up, waiting. After a moment, there a scuffling sound and the child emerged followed a second later by the dog. Everyone was staring with open mouths except for Levi and Sasha, trying to comprehend the presence of the scruffy duo.

Calmly, Sasha broke off a bit of the bread and held it out. The child stared at it for a moment, keeping one wary eye on the other people in the room, before darting forwards and snatching it up. Hurriedly, the kid shoved half into their mouth and holding the other half out to the dog. Their table manners apparently matched, and Levi couldn't stop a sniff of disdain at the atrocious display. Sasha just grinned at the both of them.  
"Well, someone is going to have to explain all of this to Erwin."


	3. Chapter 3

Petra had stared in shock at the strange pair who crawled out from under the infirmary bed, eyes wide as they hungrily stuffed the bread into their mouths and then nervously began backing towards one of the walls away from the crowd of onlookers. Clearly the kid was scared, and her gentle nature was aroused by the apparently oblivious officers, and without really knowing what she was doing she had stepped forwards and volunteered to take the child somewhere less conspicuous.

Levi and Hanji had agreed, more to get the duo away from the stares of the recruits than trying not to scare the kid too much. The only place she had thought of was to take them back to her own quarters, where they stood awkwardly in one corner as Petra ran a warm bath and generally fussed around to cover her own uncertainty.

Turning, she stared at the child, realising she had no idea whether they were a boy or a girl under the muck.  
"Umm, do you want to get cleaned up? Feel free to use my soaps and shampoos, and I can lend you some of my clothes- you are smaller than me but I should have something that will roughly fit. Are you still hungry? Do you want something to drink? Sorry- I am asking too many questions I know."

There was no response from the child, but she kept up the cheerful chatter in an attempt to set them at ease as she ushered the kid into the bathroom. At first she tried to keep the dog out but a look of such terror was shot her way that she relented. "Fine, you can stick together, but wash yourself before your furry friend ok?"

It was almost an hour later that the bathroom door finally reopened, just a crack, a small damp head peeking around the edge. Petra put down the book she had been absentmindedly skimming through and watched to see what would happen, waiting quietly so as not to spook the kid.

Apparently satisfied that there was no danger, a little girl tentatively stepped into the room. Almost unrecognisable from before, the ragged urchin had been replaced by a surprisingly cute child. The tangled hair was still damp but now clean and of a deep chestnut brown, falling in waves and curls just past her shoulders. The too large shirt so generously donated came to the child's knees, and she had rolled the sleeves up repeatedly until her no longer filthy hands emerged from the fabric. The same had been done to the trouser cuffs to prevent tripping, revealing calloused bare feet.

Amazed by the transformation, at first Petra was only able to stare- was this really the same kid? She had such huge eyes, which seemed far too old for someone her age, as if they had already seen too much. Before she could say anything, there was a skittering sound from the bathroom and the dog came bounding out to stand by the girl's side. Evidently having been bathed as well, it now appeared to be some form of cross between a collie and some sort of wolf-hound, shaggy black and white fur seeming slightly fuzzy after a washing. The girl placed a hand on the dog's side, curling her fingers into the fur and apparently relaxing as she did so.

"Well, that is much better. I can see you properly now."  
The girl made no sign of response, gaze apparently riveted to the floor as she absentmindedly stroked the mongrel beside her. Not dissuaded, Petra smoothly got to her feet,  
"Now that you are presentable, and less likely to give the Captain a heart attack, how would you like to get some dinner?"  
This suggesting did warrant a reply of sorts, as the girl's focus sharpened at once and her eyes flickered briefly to Petra's face before darting away again to rest on the darkening sky outside the window.

Even so, it was encouraging that she had at least shown a brief interest. Being mindful to not make any sudden movements Petra headed towards the door, relieved that both girl and dog followed closely behind.


	4. Chapter 4

The dining hall fell silent as the trio entered, all attention centring on the child whose appearance had caused rumour, speculation and gossip to run wild through the ranks. Like a deer seeing a hunter the girl froze, eyes flickering rapidly around the assembled scouts, cataloguing dangers and escape routes apparently on automatic. Sensing her distress, the dog began to growl deep and low, hackles rising as the pair edged even closer together.

Abruptly the tension was shattered as a chatter of approaching voices and the sudden entrance of the cadets in their typical noisy fashion startled all and sundry from their focus. Sasha was at the head of the group, apparently refusing to be cooped up when a meal was underway, for which she was being scolded by the other trainees as they all came clattering in.

It was with a squeal of delight that she spotted the youngster, dashing over with the others trailing in her wake.  
"Hello hello hello! Wow you certainly look more civilised now. Want some food? I'm starving!"  
And without further ado, she took the girl's hand and dragged her towards the serving line. The rest of the teens were chattering and laughing, making an effort to be relaxed and normal- or at least what passed for their version of normality. Taking their que, gradually the rest of the dining hall returned to their own conversations and debates, the lively hum filling the air and making everything seem homely and comfortable.

The cadets led the girl over to their usual table, plonking their trays down and digging in without further ceremony. For a moment the girl hesitated, watching the people around her tease each other, wide eyed as Sasha expertly pinched food from every plate within reach despite best efforts of defence.

"Better eat yours quick before the Famine Face nicks it." It was a boy who had spoken to her, teal eyes almost as big as her own showing nothing but kindness.  
"You should listen to Eren- Sasha can be pretty ruthless." The voice came from her left, another boy, this one with longer blonde hair and an encouraging smile.

For a second she stared at the plate in front of her, and suddenly was hit by the smell of the freshly cooked stew and warm bread. Without warning, she rapidly began shovelling the food into her mouth, gulping down huge amounts and tearing off chunks of bread with her teeth. It was a display which actually had overtones of savagery, and everyone saw Captain Levi becoming ever tenser from the table where his squad were eating, Petra having joined them for her own meal.

And yet she was surprisingly neat, efficient, not spilling a single drop or wasting a crumb. Every time she came across a larger chunk of vegetable or scant piece of meat, it was expertly flicked to the dog which had worked its way under the table to rest its head on her knee. Apparently oblivious to the shocked looks of those around her, she was soon nearing the bottom of her bowl, running a finger around the edges in the hopes of gleaning every last drop.

Without a word, someone prodded a second portion in her direction. The girl snatched at it hungrily, eyes darting up and staring directly at her benefactor- a girl with straight black hair and cat-like eyes who seemed to understand exactly the silent message of thanks from the younger. Yet again the portion was devoured with the single mindedness usually only seen in starving animals, the entire attention of the girl apparently narrowing to the bowl in her hands.

The second helping had almost been finished, when the girl suddenly paused, as if struck by a thought. Silently, she gazed at the last roll which was clutched in her left hand, before lifting her head fully for the first time since she had entered the room and looking directly at Sasha, who half choked when she realised that she was the centre of attention.

With a solemnness which seemed somehow mature beyond her years, the girl deliberately reached out and placed the bread on the very edge of Sasha's tray. Their gazes locked for a couple of seconds, and the girl gave a slight jerk of her head, the briefest of nods, before blushing almost crimson and ducking her head again.

The others held their breath for a second, and then Sasha reached out and took a bite out of the roll, swallowing and grinning in thanks. For some reason this seemed to please the young girl who smiled very faintly, before once again focussing solely on the hound who was now stretched out across her feet.


	5. Chapter 5

Levi was sitting across from Erwin in his office, considering the problem which was lying on the floor at the side of the room in front of the fireplace. They both kept flicking glances at the pair who were sprawled out playing some sort of game which involved the girl batting the dog's front paws as he tried to nip at her hands. She still hadn't made a sound since being discovered, but she definitely seemed happier at that moment. It was an almost domestic scene, making the Commander's features soften.

"So what are we going to do about the brat?"  
Levi's characteristic bluntness brought them back to the matter at hand. He was watching the duo as well, wrinkling his nose slightly at the thought of the dog roaming around, although he did have to admit that the animal was smelling better. Erwin sighed, rubbing a hand tiredly across his face and turning back to his subordinate.

So far the girl had not caused any issues, but they had only known about her presence for a day so there was still plenty of time for complications to blossom. Although silent, she had done everything she had been told to, following the officers obediently after dinner. But there was something slightly unsettling about her constant watching.

"Well we obviously can't keep her here."  
"Obviously, I mean we are a front line unit which regularly engages titans. And for goodness sake, this base is hardly a safe zone- there are a thousand and one ways that a child could get hurt."  
"Precisely. It is entirely impossible for them to stay with the scouts."  
"So we agree."  
"Entirely."

They nodded to each other, plans already ticking through their minds of who best to offload the child to, how to move her safely. And then their attention was drawn by the smallest of movements, the soft pad of bare footsteps. Startled, Erwin and Levi found the girl standing right beside the desk and watching them with wide eyes.

"What's up brat?"  
She said nothing, but her attention latched onto him.  
"You've been listening haven't you?"  
She blinked, which he took for confirmation.  
"Don't worry, we will have you back inside the safety of the Walls as soon as possible."  
The girl flinched, a shocked expression on her face, and a small trembling started to shake her small frame. Her dog drew up to her side, nuzzling into her hand with his wet nose.

The men were startled by the response, glancing at each other and then back to the agitated child. Levi leaned towards her. "Don't you want to go back? There must be someone waiting for you…"  
And then it struck him- they had no idea how long the kid had been on her own, what if there was nobody left for her to go back to?

"Well, Commander, perhaps we should wait a little before making any decisions."  
The girl drew closer, a small spark of hope lighting up her eyes which went from stormy grey to shot through with pure sapphire blue. The change was startling. The captain turned to his superior tilting his head towards the girl, "Perhaps we should ask her opinion."

Both turned to the girl expectantly. "Well, brat: do you feel like sticking around with us whilst we sort some things out?" she took a deep breath, stared both of them square in the face, and nodded firmly. They blinked in surprise for a moment at getting so definite a response, before Erwin smiled softly. "Alright then, well, give us some time and we will see what we can do."

The girl nodded again, before retreating back to the warmth of the fireplace and returning to her game with the dog.

For a second they looked at each other, surprising themselves with their own decision. Levi sighed, "Alright, so how is this going to work? I mean really- I am already trying to deal with the disaster squad, so you can't expect me to take on another brat."  
"I could order you to."  
Levi just snorted in response.

Suddenly the door to the office flew open and Hanji came tumbling in, "Erwin, Levi, where is the kid? You haven't sent her away already have you? You can't just yet- I mean"  
"Calm down shitty glasses, of course we haven't shipped her off in the dead of night without making a plan first." He reached up and yanked her collar until she sat down next to him in front of the desk.

"Alright Hanji, why do you think we should keep her around?"  
Her eyes were gleaming behind her glasses as she elaborated, "I think that girl was living here _before_ we came back to this castle. I don't know how, but I have been putting together various incidents which had occurred since we retook possession of this base, and I think she explains a lot. For instance, I think we have been a little bit hasty to blame Braus for missing food."

"Wait, back up, how could she have been here before us?"  
"That question is precisely why she needs to stay- I think there is a lot more to our stowaway than meets the eye. If we can get her to open up…"  
"Well whatever you plans, it looks like they are going to have to wait."

Levi and Hanji looked at Erwin in surprise, who motioned at the patch of floor claimed by the child. She was curled up fast asleep, resting her head against the flank of the dog. Gentle yet deep breathing made her chest rise and fall, each exhale making the fur of her friend shift slightly. Sensing their gaze, the dog raised its head slightly with a protective little growl.

"Well, I guess she will be staying exactly where she is for now at least."  
"On the floor?" Levi's tone was so horrified that Hanji couldn't repress a cackle.  
"Sorry shorty, looks like there is no other option. Unless you are willing to brave the hound?"  
He shuddered even more at that thought.  
Erwin got up from his desk and went over to a cupboard, taking a blanket out and cautiously approaching to drape it across the sleeping girl.

"I guess that is that then. Nothing else we can do until the morning anyway."  
"Do you think she will be alright here by herself?"  
"I think they have been by themselves for a very long time. I doubt one more night will hurt."


	6. Chapter 6

The girl slowly awoke, first becoming aware of the familiar feel of her dog's fur against her cheek, and the sensation of floorboards pressing against her back. Then she noticed with surprise the warm and comforting weight of the soft blanket which covered her shoulders. It slipped off as she sat up slowly, stretching and yawning, as her furry friend did the same before shaking himself out and looking at her expectantly.

The sun had not yet risen outside the window, but there was the first flush of wolf dawn on the horizon. It was the same time she woke up every single day without fail, the time when everyone else was still asleep and she could move around undisturbed.

Cautiously, the girl opened the door to the office just a couple of inches, withdrawing quickly when she spotted the person sitting in a chair just next to it. Although the people from the night before had seemed to be non-threatening, she had no idea whether this one was guard or jailor. Not wishing to find out in case it was the latter, she smiled to herself and motioned to the dog. They had their own ways of getting around.

Twenty minutes later they were scuttling through the kitchens, her light fingers claiming a little fruit from the prepared bowls, a piece of bread too small to be missed, a fistful of ham for her companion. Raid completed, they retreated to the stables, making themselves comfortable on some bales of hay in one corner and splitting the loot.

Light slowly spilled into the stable, the day coming awake around them, the sounds of early morning movement and chores underway drifting in from the courtyard. The girl started as she realised that there were voices coming towards the stable, and out of reflex the pair buried themselves in their impromptu nest.

A girl and two boys came around the corner, laughing at each other as they went about their duties. This wasn't the first time the hidden pair had observed the members of the scouting legion, but this time there were names to put to the faces. The one with her brown hair in a ponytail and a slightly lopsided grin: Sasha. The hidden girl smiled ever so slightly, remembering the day before and how she had been discovered, deciding that she liked the slightly odd cadet.

Both boys she had seen the night before at dinner, but neither had spoken to her directly. One was almost bald, with a similarly manic gleam in his eyes as Sasha, the other reminded her faintly of something but she wasn't sure what… with a start she realised that they were discussing the day before as well, and she couldn't help but overhear.

"So, Sash, how on earth did you even find out about her?"  
"What you mean the kid?"  
"No, he meant the pigeon."  
"Wait- there was a pigeon as well?"  
"Connie, Jean was being sarcastic again. It was kind of funny actually, after you so kindly dropped of that tray of food I was still kind of fuzzy in the head-"  
"What else is new?"

There was the sound of Connie snorting before he and Jean both yelped as they were apparently swatted in retaliation.  
"Anyway… when I reached for one of the rolls, I sort of knocked it onto the floor by accident. Then, before I could reach down and pick it up, this hand just appeared from under the bed and snatched it right up. It was one hell of a shock, so I leaned over to see what the hell was going on, and found those two. I would have got out of bed to talk to them properly, but they didn't want to come out yet, and leaning made me feel woozy. So I just kept talking to them from above, and every now and again put a bit of food within reach."

They were staring at her in disbelief.  
"But, umm… how did they even get under your bed in the first place?"  
"How the hell should I know? I was unconscious when you lot carried me to the infirmary, and pretty out of it for a while after that." And she stuck her tongue out at him as he turned away to feed the horses. The hidden girl had to smother a small laugh.

"Maybe they were already in there, and hid when everyone came dashing in, but were then trapped because of me being put in that same bed?"  
"That's stupid- why on earth would they be in the infirmary in the first place? And why avoid everyone?"  
"Really? When they have apparently been hiding out for quite some time?"  
"Knock it off you two," this time it was the second boy who spoke, still tending to the animals. What was it he reminded her of…? "It doesn't really matter right now how they got here, more what the brass is going to do about it."

Before either could respond, they were interrupted by a strange sound apparently coming from the hayloft. Slowly, the all turned to face a pile of straw which seemed to be shaking ever so slightly. Wide eyed, Connie reached out to shift some straw… and was thrown backwards as the dog came bounding out of hiding to stand in an 'on guard' position in front of the girl who was blinking up at them in surprise.

The trio stared at her in astonishment for a moment, unsure of what to make of this. The girl was looking around at each of them, for some reason snorting when she looked at Jean as if to cover a small laugh, and then waving shyly at Sasha who beamed in response.

"Fancy seeing you here. Actually- what are you doing here?" her quick hunter's eyes picked out the crumbs still stuck to the edge of the girl's mouth. "Aah, grabbed some breakfast I see." Her statement caused the girl's eyes to go wide with alarm, "Hey, it's ok, nobody is going to tell you off for stealing or anything. Anyway, I am guessing it wasn't much that you grabbed. Every good thief knows to make it seem as if nothing is gone." And she winked at the younger girl still huddled in the hay, receiving a small smile in response.

Hurriedly they completed their chores, watched openly now by the interested stowaway who perched on a water barrel, dog ever present beneath her dangling feet. Once done, Sasha seemed to hesitate for a brief moment, before offering her hand to the girl. She stared at it for a second, apparently considering, before very tentatively letting the older girl help her down and lead her towards the dining hall.

The boys had gone on ahead, and were somewhat surprised to see as their squad mate approached holding hands with the infamous urchin, who in turn rested her other hand on the flank of her dog. It was a surprisingly sweet picture as they came across the courtyard, attracting looks from other scouts heading for their morning meal and causing more than a few inward smiles.

Once inside, they each collected their own bowl of warm oatmeal, including an extra for the dog. The server even added an extra dollop of honey and a strawberry to that of the girl, whose face broke out into a surprised and delighted grin. Sitting at the same table as the night before, they were quickly surrounded by the rest of the cadets, who laughed and talked with more energy than expected at that time in the morning.

Wordlessly, the girl watched them all with wide eyes, taking it all in even as she systematically devoured her breakfast, although with slightly less of the desperation which had been shown the night before. Sasha, who seemed to have taken a measure of responsibility for the girl, smiled slightly over the rapturous expression on her face as she contemplated the strawberry, actually slowing down eating to properly savour the taste, eyes screwed up in apparent ecstasy.

As the girl seemed to be happy, Sasha decided to take a bit of a risk, turning to face her fully on the bench.  
"Hey, I was just wondering- could you tell us your name? I mean, we don't know what to call you."

The whole table went quiet, apparently waiting eagerly for the girl's response, partly because she had yet to say a single word. Sensing the attention, she squirmed slightly in her seat, before shrugging with eyes focused on the rough wood of the table.

Reiner scoffed at that, "Come on, everyone has a name. Just tell us already unless you want to remain 'Girl' forever."  
The youngster hunched in closer to herself, stroking the ears of the dog which had come to nuzzle against her for support and shaking her head until her hair fell in front of her face.

"Shut up Reiner." Eren was speaking up now, defensively leaning in to block his view of the upset child. "So what if she doesn't want to tell us."  
"Maybe she can't," Krista had spoken up now, her soft voice cutting through the growing tension and drawing everyone's focus. "I mean, maybe she can't remember, or never had one in the first place…"

Armin took the initiative, moving around the table to kneel next to the girl and waiting until she looked at him. "Hello again," he smiled softly, putting her more at ease, "is that true? Do you not know your name?"  
She hesitated for a second, and then nodded jerkily, face screwing up as if fighting back tears. Kind, patient Armin shot a glare at Reiner which made the bigger boy actually flinch.

"What if we gave you a name?" Eren piped up, for once with a helpful suggestion.  
"Would you like that? If we named you?" Armin still kept his voice soft, half holding his breath and then sighing with relief when she nodded, all signs of impending tears gone. "Alright then, from now on you are…"

He looked around his friends in a slight panic, mind blank.  
"Elsie." To everyone's surprise it was Mikasa who had spoken up.  
"Do you like the sound of that? Would you like to be called Elsie?"  
The girl seemed to be mulling it over for a moment, trying out the sound of it in her own mind. Then she nodded, firmly, and offered Mikasa such a joyful smile that it made her blush and duck further into the folds of her scarf.

The cadets all laughed at her embarrassment, as the girl… no… Elsie, clapped and giggled along with the rest.


	7. Chapter 7

Levi was irritated if not surprised to find the guard sitting outside the door to the office when he came to check on the girl. He had scoffed when Erwin had mentioned it, questioning how much trouble a nine year old girl could get into. The scout snapped to attention as 'Humanity's Strongest' approached, nodding to him.  
"Any movement?"  
"None sir, hasn't made a peep."

He tutted slightly at the thought of her still being asleep this late in the day, it wasn't long until breakfast would be starting. For goodness sake, the sun had been over the horizon for a full twenty minutes, and here he was facing the probability of waking up a no doubt snarky child.

Knocking perfunctorily on the door, he went striding into the office, glancing to the untidy blanket which was crumpled on the floor in front of the now cold fireplace with an expression of distaste. Unable to resist, he marched over, picking it up and shaking out the dog hairs which clung to the fabric, before folding and returning it to the cupboard.

"Hey, brat, where are you?" he tried to remind himself to sound non-threatening, but couldn't hide the irritation in his voice. Could she be hiding somewhere in here? A brief check stilled that theory, and he frowned. "Oi, get in here."  
The guard obediently entered the room.  
"Where is she?"  
"Umm, sir?"  
"Spit it out- when did you last see her?"  
"Last night, I checked in on her when I took watch and she was sound asleep."

Levi groaned to himself, trying to imagine how stupid a person had to be to let a child slip past them, whilst simultaneously thinking of places where the girl could have run off to. Likely she had been spooked by the unfamiliar adult and decided to escape. He left the confused guard staring at the empty room as he began to search the base, cursing Erwin under his breath the whole time.

Old haunts were usually a good place to begin, so he started by searching the infirmary, only to be caught by Hanji coming out of her lab to see him opening and closing cupboards and looking behind the curtains. Her snorting in amusement made him spin around and glare in her direction.  
"Tch, what's so funny shitty glasses?"  
"You are my masculine midget. What on earth are you doing? If you are looking for your sanity I am afraid it's not in the supply cabinet."

With a heavy sigh he closed the door to the dispensary and threw up in hands in aggravation. "The damn brat has gone AWOL and I was trying to think where she might be hiding."  
"Aah, I see. Want my help?"  
"That would be appreciated" he ground out through gritted teeth, irked by her smug expression.  
"Then have no fear! Hanji is here! And I know exactly where to look."  
He raised one eyebrow at her.  
"Think about it- if you were a kid who had just woken up, hell anyone who had just woken up, what is the first thing that you want?"  
"A shower and some soap."

The scientist sighed dramatically, "wrong answer clean freak- the right one is: breakfast! I will bet you anything she is in the dining hall." She sighed as she could almost see the cogs going around in his brain, processing the notion.  
"You might be right. Thanks."  
She grinned at him.  
"I would never have been able to think of something so childish. Let's go see."  
The smile slipped, and she followed behind him muttering dire threats and insults at his back.

They arrived to find a scene of utter chaos erupting amongst the usually drowsy scouts who were assembled for their breakfast. At first because of his height, all Levi could make out was the ring of backs as the scouts were formed in a circle around something happening in the middle. There was shouting, some laughing, and suddenly a rowdy cheer.

Pushing his way through with a whooping Hanji who was picking up on all the excitement, they moved to the front of the crowd to see what in the hell was causing such a ruckus. The eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he came across one of the most bizarre and chaotic scenes of his life, staring at the antics of the cadets from the 104th.

The furniture had been shifted out of its normal positions except for the heavy table. Benches and chairs had been set at random angles to each other, spread out over the space in the middle of the room. The cadets seemed to be reorganising themselves into some inexplicable formation, with the Braus girl climbing onto Reiner's shoulders, holding what appeared to be a muffin high over her head. Springer, Kirstein and Jaeger were standing in what seemed to be some form of defensive perimeter, whilst Armin was hurrying around the spectators apparently collecting bets.

A rhythmic clapping started from one side of the circle, at the far end of the table, getting faster and faster. The cadets seemed to ready and brace themselves, and Levi was pretty certain that the entire scouting legion had finally lost it.

Without warning a small figure came streaking down the table top, apparently using it as some sort of run way. Jaeger's crew all readied themselves as the tiny form leaped from the end, seeming to bounce across two chairs and launch itself towards the two man tower. Kirstein made a desperate grab for an ankle as it passed him, only to be knocked over by the dog which seemed to materialise amongst the boys and send them flying like nine pins.

Gracefully the acrobat, who Levi realised must be the girl, turned a somersault as she passed right over Braus and Reiner, plucking the upheld muffin like ripe fruit and landing lightly on her feet on one of the benches. Triumphantly she raised her prize, the crowd roaring again, before she bowed and split it with her shaggy partner.

Hanji was leaping around and yelling along with the others at the display, as bets on whether the girl would succeed were counted and collected.

Grinning like maniacs, the cadets were forming themselves into some form of human pyramid at least three tiers high, when suddenly Eren saw his superior officer standing gobsmacked in the crowd. Automatically the boy tried to snap to attention, which seeing as how he was on the bottom of the pyramid was a bad idea, leading to everyone collapsing on each other and cursing.

That soon stopped as they too noted the expression on the Captain's face, rapidly forming ranks and saluting as the bawdy crowd fell suddenly silent.  
"Can somebody explain just what the bloody hell is going on here?" his voice had started as quiet but was shouting by the end, causing the miscreants to flinch and the crowd to belatedly scatter, regretful looks cast back at those standing in disgrace.

"Well? Anybody? How about you Kirstein?"  
"Sir, yes sir! We were conducting an impromptu training drill sir!"  
"Elaborate soldier."  
"Yes sir!" Jean's voice took on a slight squeak but nobody dared laugh. "There was some discussion over whether Elsie should be counted as one of our ranks and the logical step was that she be tested for suitability. And, uhh… things got a little carried away…"

"I see," his voice was back to a near murmur, which set them all on edge far more than shouting. "So naturally you decided to allow bare feet on the table tops, an animal in the dining room, scratches on the floor from moving furniture, and… hang on, who the hell is Elsie?"  
The little girl stepped forwards, shame faced with her mutt beside her, and raised her hand slowly.  
"So that's your name is it?"  
She nodded.  
"So you finally decided to speak huh?"

Armin visibly gulped as he stepped forwards briefly. "Actually Captain Levi, she didn't know or didn't have a name so… Mikasa picked one for her." And he snapped back into position, staring straight ahead.

"Well then… Elsie? I gather you are cause of all this chaos."  
The girl nodded solemnly again, eyes wide and staring up at him from a flushed face. He was slightly surprised by her apparent boldness, taking in the changes already in the previously skittish child.  
"Are you sorry for what you have done?"  
Elsie paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked him straight in the eye as she shook her head.

Her new friends all gasped, and Levi's eyes narrowed. "You aren't sorry for breaking the rules and making a mess?"  
The little girl nodded her head frantically, and the Captain was having trouble trying to decipher what she was trying to tell him. It was Sasha who acted as interpreter this time.  
"Sir- I think she means she is sorry for upsetting you and making a mess, but she doesn't regret playing with, and trying to prove herself to, us."

Elsie was nodding frantically, shooting a grateful look at Sasha. Despite the chaos, Levi could not help an inward smile at the exchange. He was liking this brat more and more as she showed that she did have some spirit after all. Outwardly he remained as impassive and ticked off as ever, frowning seriously down at the child, who was now absently stroking the pelt of the dog.

He huffed a sigh. "Alright then cadets. You will return everything within this hall to its original position, then scrub every single inch of floor and furniture until I could allow one of you to eat your dinner off of it. After that, you are all on washing up duty for the next three meals."  
The teenagers all snapped back to full attention, fists to chests, "SIR, YES SIR."  
He glared down at the girl and her dog, "That means all of you, cadet."

Her eyes somehow managed to grow even wider, and once again there was a streak of summer sky blue which almost took his breath away. Slightly clumsy, she copied the motions of her friends, thumping herself in the chest so hard he half expected her to break a rib, back straight enough to be a ruler. The attempt at 'perfect soldier' was only spoilt by the ear to ear smile which she wore with an expression of almost dizzy happiness.

"Alright brats, get to it!"


	8. Chapter 8

It was the afternoon by the time that Erwin tracked Levi down in his office, a brief glance showing him that everything was as fastidiously neat and tidy as ever. The man behind the desk looked up from his paperwork and raised his eyebrow at his superior.  
"So, I hear you have a new recruit…"  
Levi sighed, "Apparently so, although we will have to wait and see if she is of any use. She is yet to even say a single word."

Erwin rubbed his hand across his face at that. "Yeah, Hanji said she wants to do some research on that, see if it is a physical or psychological problem. We will just have to see how things develop. Until then, I have got the bureaucrats off our backs by registering her as a late transfer from the Garrison regiment. At least that way we will still receive enough rations and so on."

The Captain accepted this with a nod, it seemed like the best way to handle the situation until they could get some more information.  
"So until then, I am officially assigning her to your group of trainees. Naturally I don't expect her to be doing all the same manoeuvres and drills, but at least keep her busy. In the meantime, I am going to make some enquiries whilst we try and get her to open up. Thankfully we don't have any missions planned for the next few weeks, so we can afford to be a little more relaxed."

A slight tut escaped the shorter man as he considered the antics in the dining room that morning.  
"Somehow I don't think this is going to be at all 'relaxing'."


	9. Chapter 9

The cadets were standing at attention on the parade ground, Elsie proudly tagging onto the end of the formation and copying their salute. Petra had caught her as they left the now sparkling dining hall, giving the young girl a uniform shirt and slacks which she had quickly tailored to better fit without the need for turn ups. Although the jacket would take more time, a wings patch had been added to the sleeve of one arm of her top. After staring in shock at the gift for a moment, the silent girl had thrown her arms around the older woman and hugged her as hard as she could.

Levi ran his eyes over the assembled troops, and not finding anything overtly wrong, motioned them all over to the stables. In a well-practiced routine, each went to their own horse to organise tack and saddles. Elsie stood with her dog just outside the stable, unsure of what she should do as she hadn't yet been assigned a mount.

The horses had been led out and lined up, each rider sitting comfortably in the saddle and awaiting instructions. Levi guided his own horse out in front of the others, riding along the lines to check on their presentation. Reaching the end, he looked down at the girl who was standing with her hound, resolutely remaining stoic, which he couldn't help but be pleased about. If she had pouted, or worse cried, he would have seriously reconsidered the merits of keeping her around.

Wordlessly, he reached out a hand to her, which she stared at for a second with hope lighting in her eyes, before grasping it and scrambling onto the saddle behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she gripped the horse's flanks with the sides of her bare feet and grinned at her friends. As they moved off, she was glad to see her dog running easily alongside, avoiding the hooves.

She had never been on a horse before, for all the time she spent hanging around the stables, and revelled in the sensation of moving at speed. The breeze tugged at her hair, whipping it across her face as she shifted to look at everyone around them and tried to copy their posture. It was harder than she had imagined, the uneven terrain and awkward position making keeping her seat tricky. Even so she was enjoying the ride, especially as they increased the pace yet again. By the time they arrived at the ODM training ground she was slightly breathless, eyes shining from adrenaline.

Picketing the horses, they once again got into formation to await orders. Slipping down from the Captain's horse, Elsie and her dog hurried to their self-assigned place, watching intently as everyone else organised their gear in preparation for drills.

"Alright, I want you lot running formation practice, without blades for the time being. Focus on speed and accuracy in relation to one another. Later, you are going to complete the assault course." And he gestured to the next field over where there was a series of tunnels, poles, walls and other seemingly random debris through which the cadets had to pass as swiftly as possible using any and all skills. "Elsie, I first off want you to watch the formation drills, and see if you can figure out the correct way to wear this."

This last was accompanied by a slight jingle as he tossed a spare belt and harness in her direction. Clutching it in her left hand, she saluted in affirmation, then set to examining the contraption as the others went to their assigned posts.

Honestly she had no idea where to begin with the assorted straps and buckles, which seemed to be arranged almost randomly to her untrained eyes. Discreetly, she examined how the others seemed to be wearing theirs, attempting to see the pattern and logic which just had to be in there somewhere.

She was interrupted from her frustrations by a small bark at her side, causing her to look up just in time to catch the start of the flying practice. It was with an open mouth that the girl watched as the team seemed to move with one mind, shooting grapples without hesitation and trusting in their team mates to place theirs with care. Moving blurrily, they dove and swung through the training posts with seeming effortlessness and grace in perfect synchronicity.

On Levi's signal, the formation split into two, some going lower and others higher, simulating an attack on each weak spot of a titan simultaneously. After the first pass, they repeated it, switching the positions. Again, and again, and again, each time faster, tighter and cleaner than the last. To the awed eyes of the silent child, it was quite simply beautiful. That was true freedom. That was what she wanted one day.

Eventually Captain Levi gave his team a ten minute break, taking the opportunity to check up on the girl and the dog who were sitting on the ground not far from the horse lines, watching everything that was happening. It was almost disconcerting to see how enraptured she was at watching the practice, which to his professional tastes had been a little sloppier than he would ever let his personal squad get away with.

"Have you figured out that thing yet?"  
The girl frowned at the harness which she held in concentration, before cautiously giving a small nod.  
"Try it on then."

Hesitantly at first, and then with growing confidence, she slipped her legs into what she figured must be the thigh loops, tangling herself briefly for a moment before righting it. Hitching the main belt around her waist, she scooped the shoulder braces up and over her skinny frame, securing the chest strap. For a moment she thought she had finished, then a paw prodded her in her back, and she suddenly remembered to final latch on her lower spine, smiling in thanks to her hound.

Raising one eyebrow, the Captain circled her critically, noting out of the corner of his eye how all the other cadets were listening in on what was happening.  
"Tch, you need to tighten the whole thing up, and if not for your canine you would have killed yourself by not having your back secured. But… no straps twisted, and you actually figured out what went where… I think there might be some hope for you yet kid."

It was all said in his usual deadpan, but at that moment the girl could not have been prouder if the Commander himself had applauded.


	10. Chapter 10

They were standing at the start of the assault course, everyone lined up and waiting for the order. The teens were all prepping their ODM which the more skilled would use to try and skim along just above the ground wherever possible. Occasionally they cast glances at the youngest member of their group.  
"It's ok," Connie muttered to her, "this is not about winning a race, just learning agility. Just do your best." To which she nodded sharply.

For a moment all was still, then Levi hollered at them to begin, and they were streaking away towards the complex labyrinth of wreckage.

Elsie pumped her legs and arms, feeling her heartrate rising, and grinning as she saw that her dog was loping easily alongside her. Some of the others had already pulled away from the pack, but she didn't want to use all her steam just yet. A wall loomed out just in front of her, and she vaulted it smoothly, placing one hand on the top to push herself off again even faster.

That momentum she harnessed as she threw herself down into the opening of a tunnel which yawned like the mouth of a titan. She skidded down the length of it, not minding the dirt she was picking up, rolling out the other side and almost instantly gaining her feet. This was her terrain, the sort of ground she was most used to. So much practice, gained in such hard ways, all now coming to the fore as the pair of them leaped and bounded over and around various barriers, swooping under others.

From the corner of her eye she caught sight of figures flitting just above the ground, marvelling for a second at the skill needed to flash from each low rise to the next protruding object strong enough to hold anchor. Not pausing for a moment, she let her dog take the lead as they reached a series of unsteady looking wooden bridges across a murky pond, trusting in her friend's instincts absolutely. Light as thistledown she skipped across, placing her feet in the pattern of his paws, before they were through and moving on.

They reached some form of suspended rings which she had to swing across, the dog draped over one shoulder. It made her muscles scream in protest, but she bit back on it. They would do this together.

And suddenly they were on the home stretch, a vast open space with the finish line beckoning urgently, where there were already people waiting, calling her name. She felt her stride lengthen, legs pulling her last ounces of energy as she emulated the run of her dog, a naturally ground eating rhythm which made her lungs burn in fire.

Suddenly, as she began to almost fly, Elsie realised that her name was being shouted in warning, a frantic look in the eyes of those on the line. A final threat- something which she was hurtling towards without a way to stop. She saw it- a pit, wide and deep. There was no way to avoid it, she was about to fall…

Images flashed through her mind: her newly found friends as they soared through the training pillars, almost birds yet all the more human for their imitation. Without thinking, rather sensing, she felt as her toes curled over the edge of the hole, saw the expressions of horror, and launched herself up and out with all her might.

Briefly, time stood still, the wind rushing past her flailing arms as the edge of the pit grew in her vision… and she was over, hitting solid ground viciously hard, tucking into a roll on instinct alone. Somehow she came to her feet, stumbling the last twenty yards to the finish, where she collapsed over the line, breathing hard and ragged.

For a moment there was a stunned silence, before the cadets sent up a ragged cheer, which grew as everyone finished the course. It was only then she realised that she hadn't been last, that she had in fact been in about the middle of the group. It made her grin idiotically, especially as Connie turned up caked in mud from missing a ring.

Face practically shining, she turned to face the Captain who had watched the entire thing with what she realised was his habitual expression of disinterest. He nodded curtly to her,  
"Not bad brat. Not bad."


	11. Chapter 11

It was beginning to feel like normality when that evening the dinner bell was rung and the mealtime chaos ensued. She truly felt like one of the group as she was given what had become her customary spot, grinning over her too full bowl. Eren was in the middle of telling a story which had Jean sputtering and half leaping over the table in an effort to shut him up, when Petra came sidling over.

"Evening all, fun day? Judging by Levi's sour expression it must have been fairly productive."  
Sasha grinned and started babbling all about how well Elsie had done on the assault course, the praise making the younger girl blush scarlet.

"Good on you kid. Well, I have been sent to show you where you are going to be sleeping from now on. Unfortunately there isn't any spare room in the cadet barracks, so you are getting your very own room in officer's country." The redhead's bright smile effectively hid the slight twinge she felt at not revealing the whole truth. Whilst the officer's quarters were the only ones with space, having her so close was more to do with wanting to keep an eye on her.

Not questioning, the girl got up from the table, dog padding along behind. Waving a goodbye to the other recruits, the trio slipped out of the door and headed towards the officer's wing. With interest the girl looked around at the corridors and peeked into rooms as they moved through the building. It was the first time she had seen it from this perspective.

Eventually they reached a plain wooden door, which Petra opened and beckoned the girl through. It was a plain yet comfortable room, a neat bed tucked into one corner with a small table beside it and a simple dresser on the other side. For a moment Elsie just stood in the centre, turning slowly to take it all in.  
"Well, what do you think? Do you like it?" There was an almost hopeful smile on the woman's face.

Before the girl could respond, the dog went charging past, jumping up onto the bed and plonking himself down as he tugged at the blankets to form some sort of nest. For a second Petra was going to tell him to get down, before a small giggle distracted her and she saw the girl's face light up. Shaking her head, she decided to let it go. So long as nobody told Levi there shouldn't be a fuss.

"Great, then is there anything you need? No? Ok then, I guess I will see you guys in the morning." And with that she left, pulling the door closed behind her. Once in the corridor, she paused for a moment with her back resting against the door frame, thinking. With a shake of her head she dismissed her thoughts and went to find her own bed.

Left to her own devices, Elsie stared for a moment at the closed door, then turned her attention to the dog who was gently thumping his tail against the bedclothes. First things first, she examined the drawers of the dresser, discovering a couple of clean shirts which had been taken in to better fit her small frame. Other than that everything was bare, lacking even a curtain for the single window. Not that she minded in the least. In truth she liked being able to lean her forehead against the cool glass and watch the slow moon rise.

After a time, the girl turned back to the bed, her hound raising his head from where it had rested on his paws as she slipped in under the covers. It felt strange, almost unnatural, to feel the softness of the mattress. It was too yielding, offering no resistance. The same was true of the pillow, although she was quickly learning to enjoy that part. Slowly the toll of the day's events made themselves felt, muscles and mind gradually numbing into the embrace of sleep.

 _She was standing in the clearing where once she had played, when she was still a child, still an innocent. Frantically she looked around, but the ever present shadow of the dog was missing, but wait- what dog? When had she had a dog? No- she was alone, had always been and always would be… alone. Hang on, there was someone else… something else… moving through the trees and into the open. THREAT. That one thought reverberated through her mind. She was in danger, needed to escape, would have to FIGHT._

 _It was then she felt the restraints which pinned her wrists, she had forgotten about them. And now she couldn't move, couldn't raise her fists. The face before her split into a wide, toothy grin, gleaming eyes looking greedily down and a hand reaching out to claim her… she screamed out her fear and hatred, wrenching her arms from the invisible bonds, lashing out with her bare feet and every ounce of strength. There was a loud roar which echoed through her very bones… and shouts,_ cries, yelling…

"Bloody hell I think she broke my nose!" that voice, wasn't part of her dream. "Make sure you hold that dog tight- don't want him to go for us… hey you waking up? Come on Elsie, wake up brat!"

The world came into focus as she literally fought her way back to reality, eyes snapping open to find her forearms being gripped and shoulders shaken. There were people all around, kneeling on the floor beside her was… the Captain? But he hated dirty floors… another face was directly in front of her, a man she hadn't seen before… and he was still gripping her forearms.

"Uhh, Moblit- WATCH OUT!" Hanji's voice briefly registered before Elsie went crazy, bucking and twisting out of their grasp and diving under the bed where she lay shaking, silent tears pouring down her cheeks. Seconds later the dog went shooting in after her, warm comforting presence curling around her as a protective barrier which she held onto as if she was drowning and he was a lifeline. Her breathing was harsh and ragged, the pounding of her heart beat filling her ears. Bit by bit the voices slowly filtered through her awareness.

"… not broken after all. Hurts like a bitch though."  
"Sorry Moblit, I didn't think she would fight back that hard, she was like a mini titan!"  
"Tch I swear everything is a titan to you shitty glasses."  
"Even so, I think that was partly our fault. At least mine- I should have realised that she wouldn't respond well to waking up restrained…"  
"Well we had to do something, she was screaming the place down."  
"Yeah for a kid who doesn't talk she certainly has a set of lungs."

Hanji's face poked its way into Elsie's hiding place, her usually manic expression marginally toned down for a change as she regarded the trembling child. "Hey there kid, we didn't mean to scare you or anything. You were having a bad nightmare and we were trying to wake you up. You are safe now. It's ok to come out."

The only response she got was a terrified pair of stormy grey eyes filling with tears as the girl started sobbing as she clutched onto her dog. The scientist looked taken aback by this reaction, unsure of what to say or do to try and calm her down.

Falling to the side, she was roughly pulled out of the way and Levi took her place, sighing heavily as he made the ultimate sacrifice and wriggled part way underneath the bed.  
"Tch now look what you have made me go and do, brat. You should know that I truly despise getting on the floor for any reason and just see the state of me."

Guiltily she obliged, taking in the almost ludicrous sight of his pristine shirt starting to collect specks of dust. Gradually her crying started to calm, hiccupping as she fought to pull herself together, and scrubbing a hand across her eyes. The Captain nodded approvingly, choosing to ignore the streak of dirt which smudged her face from the action. Sighing dramatically, he reached out a hand which she watched warily for a moment. Driven by some internal need, the girl opted to crawl out by herself, leaning on her knees with her back to the bedframe as she hesitantly looked at the small crowd of adults.

It seemed as if she expected to be scolded or punished in some way, which of course was never going to happen. Instead, after making sure that she was settling down and realising there was little else they could do, Levi and Moblit left.

For a while Hanji just sat beside the girl, cross legged on the floor and observing with some curiosity as shudders occasionally ran through her skinny body. She considered reaching out and putting an arm around her shoulders, but somehow didn't feel comfortable with that, so just fidgeted slightly before sitting on her hands.  
"You aren't the only one who gets them- nightmares I mean."

The girl was watching her through the curtain of her hair. Encouraged, Hanji continued,  
"We all know what it is like. And whilst I don't know what yours are specifically, I don't doubt that they can seem to consume your world. But that is ok, we will be here to wake you up, bring you back."

At this point she seemed to run out of words, unsure of how to respond to the emotional situation, and falling quiet for a few minutes. "So… want to try going back to sleep? It's a long day tomorrow after all." At first Elsie looked unsure, twisting around to look sceptically at the bed, giving Hanji a flash of inspiration, "Feels strange doesn't it? Guess you guys are more used to sleeping rough. Tell you what, just for tonight, I won't tattle on you if you decide to sleep on the floor."

A small hand reached up and pulled down the blanket from where it had lain tangled on the mattress, curling up between the soft material and her softly panting pet. She pulled herself into a tiny ball, knees curled up to her chest and head held in the crook of one arm. The scientist smiled softly, taking the initiative and reaching out to gently stroke the girl's hair which made her start in surprise at first, before seeming to relax. Unbidden, a tune came to mind which the normally manic woman began to hum very faintly even though she had long ago forgotten the words.

Gradually the girl's breathing evened out, her muscles easing as she fell into a deep sleep, still tucked as small as she could go.


	12. Chapter 12

To say that Commander Pixis was not impressed would be like saying that Levi was of slightly less than average stature. His normally jovial features were shuttered, mouth drawn into a hard line as he sat with arms crossed in Erwin's office. The tone of his voice was a chill and bitter as ice, as he demanded an explanation for the apparent poaching of one of his soldiers.

Erwin sighed and rubbed one eye brow with his fore finger as he tried to think of a way around the situation. Part of the reason they had chosen the Garrison for the origin of the alleged transfer was that he had felt certain that once Pixis had been informed he would be more likely to keep it on the down low. That and nobody would believe that an MP had decided to leave the safety of the interior. But now that it came down to it, the Commander of the Scouts quite simply could not seem to find the right words.

Just as he was about to launch into his justifications, there was a perfunctory knock at the door and Hanji pushed her way inside looking as dishevelled as ever. A half beat behind came Elsie, bouncing after with the dog ever present at her heels, apparently munching on a handful of apple rings left over from breakfast.

"Commander, Commander,"  
"Squad leader."  
"So sorry to barge in like this, but I heard that Pixis had come to our neck of the woods, and figured the whole thing would be much easier to explain with Exhibit A." And she cocked a thumb to the little girl who, having seen the aggressively scowling stranger, had half hidden behind her back.

Pixis's face had gone from muffled outrage to downright confusion in a matter of heartbeats. As Erwin launched into a description of events and their reasoning for the subterfuge, there was a general relaxation of the atmosphere. By the time the summary had concluded, Pixis was leaning back in his chair regarding the girl, who still kept largely behind her human shield, with a form of rye amusement.

Having apparently accepted the current circumstances, he motioned with a finger to try and encourage the girl forwards. She shook her head slightly and put one hand on the head of her dog.  
"Well I guess that is a fair reaction little lady- after all, when you came in I must have looked like a sour old ogre." His voice was gravelly but tinged with what seemed to be kindness. The child half looked at him from under her fringe as he continued, "Despite that, I am not too bad a fellow, even if I am known for being a little… eccentric. In fact, I would very much like to become your friend if you would let me."

As he had spoken, the silent girl had slowly shifted away from her protection, edging slightly closer to the man. She stopped, still a couple of steps away, and tilted her head on one side, apparently considering. Then she nodded firmly, holding out one small hand. The Commander seemed delighted, and gently took it, shaking it seriously and giving her a small grin which she mirrored shyly.

Somewhat surprised that it had gone so well, Erwin looked at Hanji, "Well, now that is settled, the Commander and I have some other things to discuss."  
"Sure thing sir, I was just going to take her to my lab for the morning anyway. Levi was making a fuss about the stupidity of having a dog tagging along after the cadet cleaning detail so I offered to amuse them for the time being. If you need me you know where to find me."

Pulling the door closed behind her, Elsie's sharp ears briefly caught what sounded like, "… should warn you others are asking…" before she was once again following the older woman through the building. This time she knew where they were going, cutting through the infirmary and entering the realm of chaos which was the lab.

It was a sight which usually made Levi start having a cardiac episode, but which caused the child's eyes to open in wonder. There were three benches along three walls, the fourth wall having a paper laden desk shoved up against it. Every available surface it seemed was cluttered with an assortment of glass beakers and test tubes, stacks of hand written note books and journals, loose papers scattered and cascading onto the floor. Some form of gas powered flame was burning in one corner, a mysterious substance which looked faintly organic gradually blackening.

What had appeared to be some form of experiment on rates of decomposition was snatched up by Hanji and stuffed into her mouth. "Mmm, for some reason sandwiches always taste better the next day" she exclaimed around the crumbs. Glancing back at the pair still hovering in the doorway, with a dramatic sweep she sent a collection of files flying from one of the benches and what was apparently a stool. "Well you might as well make yourself at home."

Elsie took the proffered seat, feet dangling above the floor as she watched Hanji flying around the room apparently testing several hypothesis at once. A second later, a stack of papers and some colouring pencils were dropped by her elbow, before the scientist was off again.

Taking the hint, the young girl pulled one of the papers towards herself. Briefly she stared at the complex diagram drawn across it, what appeared to be some sort of canon but which shot grappling hooks instead. Shaking her head, she turned it over to the blank back. Opening the pack of pencils, she stared in fascination at the colours for a moment, eventually choosing a bright blue which appealed to her.

At first she held the pencil over the paper uncertainly, not knowing what she should draw. A huff at her feet as her dog shifted into a more comfortable position made her look down and smile warmly. Tongue poking slightly to the side, she began to work.

It was lunch time before she was interrupted, when Hanji pulled herself out of her titan daze long enough to remember that she was supposed to be caring for the kid. Moving over to her section of bench, she was a little surprised to see the number of pictures which were scattered like fallen leaves.

Tapping the girl on her shoulder made her jump for a second, before she beamed up at the adult, proudly showing her latest creation which appeared to be some kind of flower where each petal was a different colour.  
"My my, that is very pretty indeed. I think you have some natural talent missy. Sorry to drag you away, but it is time for lunch, and then you are going back to the squad for the afternoon."  
The child nodded in apparent acceptance, and began gathering up her morning's creations, neatly packing away the pencils with a slightly wistful look.

With characteristic observance Hanji noticed it, and half bit her lip briefly. "Tell you what- why don't I take these to Commander Erwin's office and you can do some more after dinner before bedtime?" A thankful grin gave her proposal the go ahead, the papers and pencils being dropped off with a hurried explanation on their way to the dining hall.

Crossing the courtyard they encountered Eren, Mikasa and Armin who were all heading to lunch as well and gladly took charge of the girl when Hanji realised she had left something burning in her lab, running off before Levi found out and blew a gasket.

Elsie and the dog seemed to enjoy being back outside, running around the three teens in loops, apparently playing some form of tag with each other. They were laughing at the sight, when suddenly the girl tripped on the cobbles and crashed to the ground. With huge eyes she watched as bright blood welled up from a gash on her knee and began to seep into the fabric surrounding the tear.

The older three ran over, Eren and Armin babbling question about whether she was alright or in any pain. Mikasa hung back a little, watching her reaction. There was something about the girl which struck a chord within the usually taciturn teen, some reaction- or rather lack of response which she could somehow identify with. Pushing past her two friends, she wordlessly held out a hand to the fallen child, who took it a second later and was pulled to her feet.

Ignoring the fussing of the boys, the girl calmly tore a strip of cloth from the hem of her shirt and with apparently practiced ease cleaned and bandaged the cut. Done with her ministrations, she grinned at them all once again, before darting off in the direction of the mess hall. Eren blinked for a moment, speechless. Armin sounded a little startled, "Apparently she doesn't let much hold her back. She didn't even cry… Do you think she is ok?"

Mikasa stared at the figure of the child for a moment. The girl was back to playing with her dog, skipping around in dizzying circles, apparently unfazed by the events from a minute before. "She's fine. In fact, I think she is made of tougher stuff than anyone gives her credit for."


	13. Chapter 13

Although Hanji had been honest about the potentially fire hazard in her lab, that wasn't the real reason why she had off loaded the kid and scurried back into the castle. Instead, she headed back to Erwin's office, opening the door as she knocked and striding in before he could say a word.  
"Hi there Commander, sorry to barge in yet again, but I thought we should have a bit of a chat about our young guest."

Knowing how to read his squad leader, and seeing the intensity of her gaze he nodded permission, setting down his pen as she grabbed the pile of pictures which she had dumped on his desk earlier.  
"Well then, I figured that if the girl is unable to speak for whatever reason, she might be able to communicate better through drawing. After all, it is a natural form of expression which everyone understands and… but I digress."

Erwin sighed slightly, willing his subordinate to just get to the point.  
"So, as you can see most of these are typical for a child of her age- she seems to have started off drawing specific things she could see and later whatever came into her head."

The Commander was leafing through the images, a slight smile tugging his lips at the bright colours and fanciful designs. One in particular had apparently had a lot of energy spent on it, looking like some sort of animal- her dog perhaps? But why was it blue? Suddenly he came across a drawing which was nothing like the others. Done in black, it seemed to show a human like figure. A wide, gaping grin split the face, filled with what seemed to be sharpened teeth. Things which looked like trees surrounded it on all sides. It was frankly disturbing.

"Is this…"  
"Yes sir, I believe that to be a titan. I think it is possible that she is a survivor from the attack on Trost."  
"But that was over a month ago… and miles away from here."  
Hanji nodded, "Indeed, and yet it is the only thing I can think of. It might explain why she is silent- the trauma of the titan attack and what potentially saw could have scarred her too much psychologically and she just shut down. It's only a theory, but it could be that given enough time and an environment she is comfortable in, she could eventually open up."

For the first time, Erwin wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to know the details of the girl's story.


	14. Chapter 14

The days had begun to settle into a form of pattern as Elsie became more integrated into the life of the cadets. Whilst it had only been a week, it felt as if she had been one of their ranks for far longer. It was slightly strange when she thought about it, having such a group of friends when just a short while ago she had been simply surviving alone except for her dog. Where before she had only watched the other inhabitants of the castle, now she was getting involved with their lives, their daily habits.

Aside from waking with a scream from a nightmare, by no means a rare occurrence, the girl was yet to make a sound save the quietest laugh when her squad mates were particularly boisterous. Although some still found it odd, most accepted that she would speak when she was ready, respecting that there was probably a damn good reason for her silence.

Even so, she had found other ways of expressing herself, developing a form of communication based on gestures and expressions which allowed her to even have conversations with those who knew her better. More than this, she seemed to enjoy showing her feelings through actions. Nobody quite knew how she could do it, but somehow she was able to surprise people with some small gesture which seemed to express feelings far better than any great speech on her part.

One day after Petra had received some bad news in a letter from home, she had returned to her room to find a small bowl of fresh picked strawberries on the windowsill. When Sasha made a fool of herself through a mistake during training, she found a package of cookies beneath her pillow. After Mikasa's precious scarf was accidently torn through an attempted prank on Eren by Jean, it was almost miraculously discovered darned (if slightly clumsily) and washed hanging on her bunk.

But her actions were not limited to these small acts of kindness, and the scouts soon learned that she had a devilish streak as well. For that same pranking incident, Jean awoke the next morning having been somehow put into a bridle as he slept. For snapping at Armin all of Ymir's shirts mysteriously turned pink. It was an enigma how she did it, managing to appear anywhere in the castle at will and apparently unseen, as if she were some sort of spirit able to walk through walls. In fact, it had managed to earn her the nickname "imp", which she took a certain measure of pride in.

Naturally Erwin, Levi, Hanji and the others all kept a close eye on the girl. However, it was becoming less a matter of monitoring in case she were a well disguised threat, and more of benevolent protectiveness. And as such, they felt no qualms in allowing the child to participate in the outing which the cadets had organised for their monthly day off.

It had all been Sasha's idea originally. Seeing how the weather was beginning to warm with the approach of summer, and ever one to promote an edible agenda, she had suggested that they take the day for a picnic near the woods about seven miles to the east. What had begun as a simple outing for a change of scene soon grew into a full event as the others latched on to the idea, suggesting all manner of games and competitions which could be included.

After a particular amount of badgering, to the extent that Erwin almost had an aneurism, even Eren was allowed to join in so long as Levi came along to monitor. Hanji was almost giddy at the prospect, insisting that she go along as well for reasons which nobody could quite fathom.

And thus it was that at day break the entire platoon loaded their horses with all the paraphernalia deemed vital for what promised to be the first day of real fun that any of them had enjoyed in far too long. Elsie was particularly happy as they clattered out of the courtyard, riding the mount which had been assigned to her- a beautiful dapple grey pony whose size and temperament perfectly complemented her own. Grinning at all and sundry, only the hardest hearted person could have resisted the simple joy which the girl radiated as she happily rode along, hound loping beside her horse.

It was a day which they never forgot. Camped out on the fringes of the woods, half in the shadows of the giant trees, the soldiers became the children that they had not been for a long while. Between regular stops for food, were the silly games which had been half forgotten until that point. Three legged races and penalty catch, a handstand contest which Mikasa managed to win by staying upside down for a full five minutes. Somehow their youngest member seemed to be at the centre of it all, a catalyst which released the playful natures of her friends.

It was perfect. It was peaceful. It would never be able to last.

Mid afternoon sun beat down on the carefree group, making even Eren and Jean who had been fiercely competing throughout the day start to feel their eyes drooping. A small daisy chain group started by Krista was laying in the shade, the other members of the 104th in various stages of relaxation in the grass. Elsie and her dog were lying on their backs a little bit apart from the rest, watching the clouds and imagining what shapes they could see.

Nobody expected the crack of a gunshot to shatter the scene like a thunderbolt.

For the space of a heartbeat, everybody froze, before chaos erupted. A second shot snapped out, leaving a furrow in the dirt just a foot away from the startled nine year old, who whipped her head around wildly before focusing on the trees. Others had realised the only possible direction for the sniper, Hanji and Levi using their hastily donned ODM gear to streak into the woods whilst yelling for the others to find cover.

Cadets were shouting, running to hide behind the low wall at the edge of the field, when Sasha looked back and saw Elsie still standing in shock out in the open. Heedless of the danger, she started to move for the girl, but Eren was faster, racing from cover as he desperately shouted for the child who turned at his voice and began to move in the direction of safety. There was a third booming crack, and time seemed to slow as the boy's reaching hand, almost grasping the girl's, abruptly exploded in a mess of blood and bone.

Shocked, he stared at the damage for a breath, heard Mikasa desperately scream his name, and the world disappeared in a rush of heat and red.


	15. Chapter 15

Hanji and Levi were zipping through the trees, eagerly searching for the source of the attack, eyes darting to every potential patch of cover. A faint rustle from a high branch was all that it took before they simultaneously homed in, blades bared as they landed on either side of a stunned marksman. In desperation, the man let off one more shot before twisting away and leaping from his perch, reaching out desperately for the next branch just below in an effort to escape.

He missed.

Horrified by the turn of events, the officers stared at each other for a moment. Suddenly there was a sickly yellow-green glow which sent twisted shadows in all directions, the smell of ozone, and a far too familiar roar. Visibly paling, the pair darted back towards the edge of the woods.

One second Elsie had been running towards her friend, the next she was blown backwards head over heels by a blast of scorching steam and pressure. Tumbling into the grass and the dirt, she slowly raised her head and gazed blankly at the apparition before her. Where before had been Eren, now her entire field of vision was encompassed by a single foot. Lifting her eyes, the child beheld a creature of nightmare, which screamed to the sky in an expression of incandescent fury. The sound reverberated through her very bones, and in a futile gesture she clamped her hands over her ears and curled into as small a ball as possible.

The titan glared at its surroundings with eyes so green they seemed to glow as it panted hoarsely. Still dazed, the girl in front of the monster clambered awkwardly to her feet, tilting her neck back and trying to comprehend what exactly had just happened.

Captain Levi froze at the very edge of the woods, trying to take in the scene before him. There was Jaeger titan, standing bold as day in the field with his customary look of intense hatred. Thankfully it hadn't seen the cadets who were still out of eye shot cowering behind the dry stone wall. But wait, there was movement just in front of the towering form. Narrowing his eyes, he felt his heart plummet as he realised just who was in danger. Hanji gasped beside him, also taking in the situation at a glance.

"Oh my god, Levi. That's Elsie down there!"  
"I can see that shitty glasses." He snapped in response. "Crap, I need to pull Eren out of there." He made ready to launch, but the scientist grabbed his arm.  
"Wait!"  
"What?"  
"If you try and cut him out now, he might resist and accidently crush her or something."  
"And if I stand here talking to you, four eyes, he might attack anyway. Let's just hope she doesn't do anything to attract his attention."  
He saw Hanji blanch, "Can't count on that- I think she is a survivor of a titan attack. So when her mind processes exactly what is happening… god- I have no idea what this effect this is going to have on her…"

Further debate was interrupted as something drew the titan's attention and he reached out a gigantic hand towards the girl at his feet. Levi cursed as he began to race forwards, knowing he was going to be far too late.

The girl was staring at the giant in front of her, not sure what she should do- run? That seemed a good idea, but she found herself rooted to the spot. Automatically, she reached out to place a hand on the back of her dog, the familiar presence grounding her back into reality. The dog in question began to go crazy, barking and snapping at the thing which had appeared so inexplicably and was a perceivable threat to the girl who he had claimed as his pack.

Drawn by the noise, the great emerald orbs turned down, seeming to notice the tiny child stood just in front of him. A massive hand reached down, closing over the pair in a clumsy fist and raising them to its face.

Behind the wall, the cadets watched horrified as Jaeger titan picked them up, certain that tragedy was only seconds away and unable to do anything.

The titan's hand stopped just in front of its face, opening flat to examine its prize. The girl, completely dwarfed, stared in awe at the thing which had been Eren only moments before. For some reason, that thought comforted and grounded her. She knew this person, the one who was apparently also this monster.

Carefully, she got to her feet, standing slightly unsteadily in the palm of his hand. Her dog, deciding that this situation was not acceptable for his human, promptly sank his teeth into the flesh of one of the titan's fingers. Surprised, the creature flinched and roared. Unperturbed, if rather off balance, the young girl reached out with one tiny hand, resting it on the tip of the monstrous nose before her.

Stunned, the spectators behind the wall stared at the image which their uncomprehending eyes refused to process. And then they heard it. Floating across the silence of the field and the hammering of their own hearts, was a melody. Elsie, the Imp, the Silent Girl, was humming to the titan which held her in his hand. He tilted his head towards her, the rage in his eyes slowly dimming as he seemed to recognise the cadence of the tune.

Seemingly from out of nowhere, Levi appeared on his shoulder, near the back of the titan's neck. At first he had been planning to strike without finesse, to simply tear Eren out before his titan went rogue and caused untold damage. Instead, he was stunned to see how calm the creature had become, further amazed by the reason and source of the humming.

In his calmed state, the Captain was able to order Jaeger to kneel on the ground and lean his head forwards to better expose his nape. All the while that he was cutting the brat out, the girl kept repeating the soothing refrain.

By the time the exhausted and semiconscious Eren was free, the rest of the squad had come running over, abandoning cover, and surrounded the group in a frenzy. Mikasa was grabbing onto Eren, Armin babbling over her shoulder to his friend. Sasha went pelting over to Elsie who was jumping down from the already steaming hand with her dog. Shouts and questions erupted as the shock of events started to wear off, whilst Hanji was whooping about what she had seen and frantically scribbling in a notebook whilst begging everyone for their own observations.

"ENOUGH!" Captain Levi's bellow cut over all of the tumult and the noise, stilling everyone at once. "Keep it together people. There are more important things to worry about right now- such as the fact that we are still in a highly exposed position. I want you all mounted and ready to ride in five minutes and not a second more."

Reminded of their responsibilities the cadets hurried to comply. As they began to make their way back to the castle, Levi kept a constant vigilance- seeking any other potential threats in what had been a tranquil setting. Over and over two questions kept repeating itself in his mind: who exactly had the sniper been aiming at… and why?


	16. Chapter 16

The atmosphere at dinner that evening was distinctly subdued, word of the day's events having spread like wild fire leaving the entire Scouting Legion on edge. The cadets were merely picking at their dinners, even Sasha consuming hers with far less relish than was usual. Only Elsie and her dog wolfed down the food with their normal intensity, although the child wore a truly serious expression as the animal let out the occasional soft whine. If anything, Eren appeared to be the least affected by the mood, yet that was probably more due to the toll of transformation draining his energy to the point where he was using his tray as more of a pillow than sustenance.

Krista was fidgeting in her seat, Ymir shooting her concerned glances as the general oppressiveness wore on the petite blonde's nerves. Unable to stand it any longer, she turned to the child who was sitting next to her. "So Elsie, where did you learn that song? The one you were humming?"

Everyone in the hall snapped their eyes to the trainee's table, drawn by the voice which stood out over the clatter of spoons on bowls which had been the only sound beforehand. Both girls flinched and ducked their heads slightly as they noticed, the younger giving a small shrug as her only response. Desperate to save his embarrassed friends, Armin bravely chipped in.

"You know, I think I recognised the tune, from when I was a kid or something."  
"Me too." Sasha had joined in now, eager for something to break the ice. "At least I did at the time, I can't quite remember how it goes now, but I knew it when I heard it."

All down the table were rumbles of agreement, and Jean actually began humming a rough version. This however caused a dispute to break out, with everyone remembering different patches and trying to piece together something which was beginning to sound like a choir of injured felines. It came to a head when the dog threw his head back and bayed mournfully along with them, at which point half the impromptu choir broke down into giggle fits. With the tension eased, Connie turned to the child, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Come on- I think you need to set us straight here."

At first she turned beetroot red, flushing all the way to the tips of her ears and vigorously shaking her head. Catching on, the rest of the group began adding their encouragement, which soon spread to the room at large. For a moment it looked like she was just going to flee, when she heard a familiar snarky voice muttering, "Tch, of course the brat won't do it."

For some reason that put steel into her eyes, as she slowly drew all her courage together and cleared her throat. The room fell silent, and a heartbeat later she began to hum. It was a melody as old as time and seemed to speak of the comforts of homes which for too many were now only rubble. With a beautiful simplicity, her young voice filled the mess hall.

Reaching the end of the refrain, she paused to take a breath, surprised when Mikasa of all people waved for her to repeat it. Elsie did, going right back to the beginning, except this time a slightly husky second voice joined with the humming as the older girl softly added words in a language long since forgotten by all but a few. The scouts were staring in shock at the unlikely duet of the two girls who had been considered the last ones to show a musical flair, a fact which made their simple harmony all the more beautiful.

As the song finished, there was a brief moment of utter silence, the spell of memory gradually wearing thin. Eren's voice spoke into the void left by the music, a low murmuring, "I thought you had forgotten that lullaby a long time ago."

Then the moment ended as a wave of applause broke out, causing Mikasa's usual walls of 'don't approach' to go slamming back up. The girl however had a slightly sparkly look to her eyes, as if she had just found something which she had misplaced long ago without even realising.

People began to chat amongst themselves about other songs from their childhoods, a round of "Soldier, Soldier" spontaneously breaking out from a table in the back corner of the room and being picked up by all the others.

"Oh soldier, soldier will you marry me  
With you musket, fife and drum?  
Oh no, sweet maid, I cannot marry thee  
For I have no horse to ride on…"

Levi was watching the proceedings uncomprehendingly, a faint air of confusion about him as he observed his squad joining in with the increasingly ludicrous lyrics. The quality of song was certainly an acquired taste, as the company of singing soldiers were belting out the words with far more enthusiasm than tunefulness. From the corner of his eye, he saw the brat that had started the whole thing get up from her bench and begin to do some sort of dance with her dog to the cheers of her companions which could be barely heard over the boisterous sound.

Wincing, he placed one hand against his ear as Hanji suddenly remembered how the song went and began screeching happily far too loud and close for comfort. And yet somehow, somewhere deep within, he felt something… familiar? A brief flash of another young girl dancing to a similar tune, in a place where the sky was a myth. Of Isabel and…

He slammed the door closed on that thought, burying his musing deep down and far beyond the sight of his mind's eye. Suddenly the crowded room was too oppressive to bear, and unobserved he hurried from the table and out into the cold night air.

Or at least almost unobserved. As the tune drew to the end, and the laughing scouts started to break up into smaller groups with the end of the meal, a pair of figures slipped out of the crowd. The Captain looked up, startled, as a presence seemed to materialise in front of him, huge grey eyes staring up at him with a question. He shook his head, "It is not something I care to explain to a shitty brat like yourself."

The eyes blinked with apparent acceptance, but the girl did not leave just yet. Instead, she stood to one side of the officer, watching him briefly with her head cocked to one side. For some reason he felt the urge to speak to this silent creature, to tell her what was gnawing away at his insides like acid even as he fought it back. For a second he was watching her as well, wondering how she could make him _want_ to spill his guts. What power did this child have? And then something clicked into place.

"I don't have to tell you anything do I? Because I think you already have a rough idea. Only someone who had lived through it could possibly… for the record, this doesn't make you any less of a pain in the ass you know."

She seemed to smile faintly at that. And then she tipped her head back and gazed up into the night sky, where stars spun high in the heavens, as she rested her hand as always on the head of her dog. They stood together, the child, the hound and the Captain, in a silence which seemed to say it all.


	17. Chapter 17

The girl was crouching in the dark, trying desperately to school her breathing as adrenaline from her mad dash thrummed through her veins. As carefully and silently as she could, she rose to her knees, leaning against the back of her dog as she pressed an eye to a knot in the wood of the door.

There were two men in the lighted room on the other side, one sitting and the other pacing somewhat restlessly as they discussed a chart spread open on the table in front of them. From their demeanours it was apparently an important topic. She caught the occasional word as the pacer passed periodically in front of her refuge, "…capture… evade… at all costs…"

She jumped back as the door to the room flew open and another figure strode in, checking themselves as they saw the occupants and then asking them something which she could not quite hear. There seemed to be a moment of debate, with much gesticulating, before finally the seated man apparently gave some form of permission. The new arrival turned, eye focusing in like a hawk on a mouse to the cupboard which hid the silent child, and began to move closer…

Hanji was frankly impressed as she scoured every inch of the extensive castle, looking for the kid and her dog. It had been the scientist's idea to play hide and seek in the first place, to begin with just as a way of keeping the child amused as she was once again excused from cleaning duty. However, after four rounds she had begun to be fascinated at how the little 'Imp' was able to appear seemingly anywhere in the building at will.

It was quite honestly almost driving the woman a little mad, since whenever she asked people that she came across if the child had been spotted, they all gave a negative response. She had the feeling that if she could figure out just how the girl was doing it, it would go a ways to explaining her somewhat random appearance a week and a half ago.

Reaching the third floor, having checked every other room, she paused at the last door. For a moment she told herself that there was no way the girl could be hiding in there… but after so many defeats she had learnt that there was apparently no limit to her resourcefulness.

Plastering a smile across her face, she threw the door open and went striding into Erwin's office. Her Commander had apparently been in deep conversation with the visiting Commander Pixis, and they both looked up in alarm at her dramatic entrance. "Squad Leader Hanji, to what do we owe this… interruption." Erwin's voice was decidedly cool, and she couldn't help but flinch inwardly.

"Umm, so sorry to disturb and all, but I was looking for Elsie."  
Pixis had smiled at the mention of the girl, but spread his hands wide, "As you can no doubt see, she is not in here with us."  
Hanji sighed, "It may appear that way, sir, but if there is one thing I have learnt this morning it is that she is one hell of a hide and seek player."  
Erwin raised one bushy eyebrow, "we have been in here all morning, and I can assure you that we are alone."  
"Trust me on this commander, I am almost sure that she is here somewhere. That little Imp is as crafty as they come." It was said with a small dose of humour, which made Pixis chuckle softly and give Erwin a meaningful look. He sighed and acquiesced.

Quickly scanning the room, Hanji zeroed in on the cupboard leaning against the wall. Taking a deep breath, she marched over and threw open the doors, giving a whoop as the child and her pet were revealed huddled in the bottom. Upon discovery, the girl smiled broadly and clapped her hands a little as the older woman reached in and lifted her out, presenting her to the superior officers in the room.

For a brief moment they both stared in amazement, before their customary expressions of control and command fell back into place.

The game now over, the child ran over to Erwin's desk, to a certain drawer which had been commandeered for keeping most of her drawings which she still created every night after dinner whilst he signed reports. Selecting one in particular, she grabbed it and raced over to Pixis, presenting her work as a gift. The old man looked over the clumsy figures which had been carefully labelled 'Pixis', 'me' and 'dog' standing in some sort of field with what seemed to be the castle behind. He actually blushed at the gift, smiling warmly at the beaming child in thanks.

"I shall treasure it always little lady." He spoke with utter sincerity, and she dipped her head whilst still grinning. "And in fact, I have something for you as well."

Her eyes widened as the Commander of the Garrison regiment, reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a bright blue ribbon. She was staring at it in apparent fascination as he continued, "I saw this in the market by the wall as I was riding here, and thought of you my dear." He actually seemed a little embarrassed as he held it out to her.

Tentatively, she reached out and touched it with one finger, then cautiously took it from his wrinkled hands. It was like nothing she could remember seeing before, as if she held a miniature river in her small fists. She ran it through her fingers, revelling in the feel of the smooth fabric. Hanji knelt down in front of her, "May I?"

Uncertain but trusting, the girl released her treasure, and the scientist expertly used it to tie back the mess of curls which had been half covering the girl's face in a secure bow just above her ears.  
"You put the great ladies of the capital to shame." Said Pixis, bowing solemnly to the child and making her flush once again. And without warning, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms as far as they could go into a hug.

After they had broken apart again, Commander Erwin cleared his throat to reclaim the attention of the room. Pixis sighed, "Of course Commander, we should get back to our mission briefing."  
Hanji hurriedly took her que and began ushering the girl out of the office, "Right, sorry for the interruption."  
"Perhaps a different game for the time being?"  
"Aah, yes sir, I will see what I can do sir."

On the other side of the door, she turned to her small charge. "I could keep asking you how the hell you do that, but I get the feeling you won't tell me. Oh well, how about we go see what we can cook up in my lab? I've been working on this new formula which might just give an insight into how titans…"

The group wandered off down the corridor, one chattering whilst the others apparently listened intently. The scientist didn't even really mind if the girl was actually ignoring everything… it was kind of nice for someone not to object for a change after all…


	18. Chapter 18

It had seemed as if it was going to be a pleasant evening, warmer than usual but with a refreshing breeze. After dinner, the 104th had taken advantage of the clear skies and light given by the full moon to play some outdoor games in the courtyard. Whilst everyone had joined in the first go at what Sasha had called 'ladle jousting', where one person sat on another's shoulders with a mysteriously acquired ladle each for a weapon, after the third round Armin and Mikasa found the silent girl curled up asleep against the castle wall, dog standing guard.

Without saying anything, they (or rather Mikasa) had scooped the child up and taken her to her room, before returning to the intense match outside. The cadets had stayed out longer than they had intended, officers for once forgoing scolding and letting them have their fun for one evening. It wasn't until spots of rain began to speckle the stones that they finally called it a night and returned to the barracks.

A short while later, one hell of a storm had blown in with torrential rain reducing visibility to only a few metres. There was a distinct rumbling on the horizon, with distant flickers indicating approaching lightening.

Elsie awoke with a start sometime around midnight, eyes snapping open as she eased herself up onto one elbow and looked around slightly disorientated. She didn't know why she had woken, and sat listening to the thrumming of the rain on the roof tiles and trees just beyond her window. Then there was another sound, and her eyes now adjusting to the darkness made out the shape of her dog sitting beside her bed. He was whining softly, pawing at her blanket.

Something was clearly upsetting him… was it the weather? She shook her head slightly, he had never minded storms before, even the times that they had been caught out in the open. He nuzzled her hand, tugged slightly at her shirt sleeve, and she obligingly climbed out of bed. The dog went and stood at the window, looking back at her expectantly. Confused, the girl crossed the room, staring out at the world which was obscured by sheets of water and inky night.

There was another low rumble of thunder, but that wasn't the reason why the dog suddenly growled long and deep. She knew that sound, had heard it before in situations she didn't care to think of at that moment in time. Squinting slightly, she stared intently into the dark, and jumped back slightly as a streak of lightening split the seams of the sky in a flare of white brilliance. However, that wasn't what her attention was riveted on. In that brief moment, she had seen what her companion had been alerting her to.

Captain Levi, Humanity's Strongest, was sitting miserably at the desk in his room bleakly watching the progress of the storm. There was no way he could get to sleep, there never was when the weather was like this. Too many memories, each flash and crash an accusation from his past. And so he sat and watched, flinching from his self-imposed atonement. It was his duty to remember…

A knock on his door almost made him jump out of his skin, before he calmed himself and crossed to the threshold. Spirits wouldn't bother with civilities after all. Upon opening, he stared with surprise at the sight of the girl standing with her dog on the other side. Briefly he wondered if she had been upset by the storm, but the expression on her face banished that idea. It was not one of fear or emotional upset, rather of something that looked like anger and a fierce determination.

Pushing past the Captain, Elsie moved directly over to the window which faced the same way as her own, pointing at something in the night with a demanding look in his direction. Was it the lightening? Was she asking him something? For the hundredth time he wished that she would just say something, then guiltily squashed his aggravation, instead moving towards her and looking out.

The only sound was the hammering of the rain, then the dog rumbled deep in its chest, the child slightly gasped, and with the flash of light and understanding he saw what she had been trying to tell him.

There were figures on the ground, moving across the open fields towards the castle, already within the perimeter of the pickets who had apparently not raised the alarm. In the glare of the lightening his sharp eyes had caught the glint of metal and he knew that they were armed.

Cursing, he ran from the room and began hammering on the doors of the other officers before bursting into Erwin's office where the Commander had also elected to stay up late to deal with a stack of paper work. The Captain snapped out his report, making his superior's eyes widen and earning a shocked murmur from the men and women filing in behind him. Questions began to fly thick and fast about who these figures were, what they wanted.  
"Tch- obviously they are after the brat!"  
"Makes sense, he is the only thing of value which we have. Shit, if the MPs or some Wallist nutters were to get hold of him…" he grunted in agreement with Hanji's assessment.

All at once a new figure burst into the room, a wide eyed scout, drenched from the rain stumbling in and hurriedly saluting the assembled officers.  
"Sirs! I-it's the c-cadets: they have all been c-captured!"

A deadly hush descended on the room. "Explain!" barked Erwin.  
The man gulped, "Unidentified personnel infiltrated the castle grounds, sir. They cut off the cadet barracks and are holding those inside as hostages until the 'traitor of humanity' is handed over. They say any attempt to save them will cost the lives of one trainee for every man they lose fighting you off."

Levi exploded into a blue streak, pacing around the room with a glare so ferocious those nearest to him drew back. He whirled to the Commander, "What the hell are we supposed to do? We can't give them Jaeger, but we can't just let them play with the lives of my- I mean of the cadets. God, it's bad enough fighting titans, but now we have to add crackpots to the list?"  
"Levi, take a breath and let me think for a moment. Perhaps we can stall them for a while somehow…"  
"No- we need to get Eren out of harm's way. Shit- if the cadets are all being held still in the barracks, there is no way for us to get past and access the dungeons without being seen."  
A light seemed to appear in Hanji's eye as she turned to look at the child who had stayed unobserved in a corner of the office, "No way for us perhaps…"

Eren came blearily awake as someone repeatedly shook his shoulder, eyes opening slowly and focusing on the face which materialised in front of him.  
"Elsie? What are you doing here? What's going on?" Realising that something was up brought him around to full wakefulness and he bolted up right.

The girl pressed a finger to her lips and glared at him. A second later she rummaged around in a pocket and handed him a letter. It was hurriedly written by Levi, telling him to ask no questions but follow the girl and for the love of god stay quiet as they were under threat. It also included a choice sentence about what the Captain would do should Jaeger decide to turn titan, which actually made the boy pale before he slipped the note into his jacket. A faint growl from the dog which he belatedly saw standing guard shifted the girl into action.

Grabbing his hand, she led him to the back right corner of the room, where he suddenly noticed that one of the larger stones at the base of the wall had been shifted somehow to one side. With wide eyes the uncanny abilities of the 'Imp' suddenly made a whole lot more sense. She was gesturing at him to enter, when the dog growled again, slightly louder and her eyes looked a little afraid.

Sensing the danger, Eren ducked and started to wiggle his way through the opening. It was much tighter than he expected, and he almost got his shoulders stuck, before a surprisingly powerful shove to his feet shifted his way through the wall and into some sort of tunnel. Moments later the dog followed, the girl arriving just after with admittedly a far greater measure of grace than he had managed. Frantically, she began to push at the stone, which Eren took the hint and helped her with, replacing the rock in the wall.

It suddenly became pitch black, the only sounds being their own breathing and the rustle of cloth as the girl apparently searched her pockets for something. There was a faint glow coming from her hand a moment later, and she withdrew one of those light tubes which Hanji cooked up. It was barely enough to see each other's faces by, but should be sufficient to stop them tripping in the dark of the tunnel.

Obediently, the boy followed the silent child as she began to walk with practiced ease this previously hidden realm.


	19. Chapter 19

The first indication that the cadets had that things had taken a turn for the worse, was when the door to the girl's and boy's barracks were simultaneously kicked in to crash against the wall. Still half asleep, only Mikasa made a move to resist as the intruders rushed into the room, stopped when the barrel of a gun was pressed to the side of her head. Without further incident, the boys were herded into the girl's dorm by other men also wielding guns, silently sitting on the ends of bunks.

There were about twelve men that they had seen, although there were only three standing guard inside the room, weapons held ready. It was Sasha who dared murmur to Connie first, unable to stand the atmosphere. "Who are these guys, what do you think they want?"

It was Armin who answered, keeping his voice as low as possible, "Think about it- they are most likely after Eren. As to who they are… at first I thought MP, but quite honestly they seem too disciplined for that. Also, as we were led in here I caught sight of a pin on the leader's collar which looked a lot like a symbol from one of the more extreme Wallist factions. That would be my guess."

"I don't care who they are. If they are here for Eren they have to go through me first!" Mikasa's voice was more deadly than had ever been heard before, causing several to shudder slightly.  
"That's all well and good, but they have us over a barrel at the minute. We have to be careful, one wrong move and this could turn even worse very quickly." Jean's stage whisper was loud enough that their minders looked over at them, making them settle down until their attention wandered again.

"In that case, we are going to have to come up with some sort of plan. Over to you Armin."  
"I hate to tell you, but right now I don't have any bright ideas. Honestly there is nothing going in our favour in this situation. We are just going to have to wait until some new factor pops up."

As the words left his mouth, he suddenly noticed that Krista had gone completely still, attention riveted on the space under one of the bunks at the back of the room. Slowly, so as not to attract attention, he and Mikasa turned to see what was wrong. It took all of their self-control not to let their jaws hit the floor. There, peeking out from under the bed just like the first day they met, was Elsie.

Unable to resist, Sasha shifted to see what was going on, unable to stifle a gasp as she saw who the fuss was about. At the sound, the guards began marching over, giving the cadets stern glances as they checked to see if anything was amiss before returning to their posts. The hidden girl made eye contact with them all, pressing a finger to her lips.

Waiting until the men were distracted again, she silently flicked a folded note over, grateful for Levi's obsession with polishing the floors. Surreptitiously, Armin picked it up, adjusting his position to read it without being seen.

 _I have a way to get you out. Passage under bed. Will make distraction. Go on my signal._

Open mouthed, he stared at the slip of paper then back at the child who was staring at them completely serious. Trying not to draw any attention, they passed the message from cadet to cadet, until everyone had read it. Everyone was exchanging incredulous looks- was she being serious? What did it mean by a passage? How was she going to distract them? Frustratingly there was no way to ask, and so one by one they nodded their acceptance. And waited.

Erwin, Hanji and Levi were pleasantly surprised when a lanky figure came crawling out of the office cupboard, the Captain even willing to forgive the sheer filthiness of the brat for the relief of seeing him safe. With a thump he hit the floor, teal eyes peeking through his dusty fringe and gave a brief salute from his prone position.

"Tch graceful as ever brat."  
Hanji reached forward to give him a hand up, "Where is Elsie?"  
The boy frowned, reaching into his shirt pocket and handing over a scrap of paper. The scientist scanned it eagerly, frowning by the end, and wordlessly handed it to the others.  
"She's gone to try and rescue everyone herself? What the hell is that shitty little kid thinking?"

The officers stared at each other in silence for a moment, considering the request on the note.  
"Well, Erwin… we gonna do it?"  
"As much as I hate to say it, I think she has given us our best chance to end this with as little bloodshed as possible."  
"I am still going to kick her ass once this is over."

The first thing the guards heard was a low rumble, a faint tremor which echoed through the ground even over the sounds of the still falling rain. Then the shouting began, alarmed cries sounding from outside and drawing the guards closer to the door, hands nervously clutching guns as they tried to see what was happening. Faint words could be made out, "horses… help… get over here…"

After a brief consultation, two of the men ran from the room to see what was up, the last going over to the window and peering out in a futile attempt to glean more information. Focused as he was, he didn't notice Mikasa sneaking up until her fists crashed into the back of his skull.

Coast clear, Elsie came scrambling out from her hiding place and began shoving at the bed, shifting it little by little to reveal a hole in the floor beneath. Waving frantically, she gestured for them to climb in. For a second nobody moved, then taking a deep breath Krista ran across and clambered down, soon followed by Ymir.  
"Hey, there's a tunnel down here!" Her voice echoed up. "Oh, there's your dog! I am so glad neither of you were hurt. Should we follow him?" The girl nodded in response, before motioning for the others to follow and moving to the door to stand guard.

Moving as fast as possible, each trainee dropped into the tunnel, moving to make way for the next and following the hound who started to pad off into the dark. It was working, the plan was in effect, all they needed was enough time…

It had been the work of a few moments for the scouts to follow the paths drawn for them in the note by the child to the stables, and from there to release the horses. Following the whistles of their riders, the well trained animals stampeded across the courtyard, bursting through the main doors and milling around.

Alarmed, the intruders did their best to avoid the dangerous hooves and corral the animals which refused to be handled by the strangers. Between the dark and the downpour, people were soon in danger of being trampled, bumping into each other and cursing. "How the hell did this happen?" the leader of the group came storming out from where he had been sheltering in the main doorway leading to the barracks. Confused shouts were his only answer, and he glared at his men, thoughts spinning.

It took all of two minutes before events clicked into place and he began roaring at his men to get back inside, "It's a distraction- they must be making a move for the hostages!" Just then there was a yell from some of the others who had been chasing horses, "Scouts!" and the whir of ODM wires cut across the rain. "Everyone inside- they are attacking! Get back to the hostages, we can hold them off from there!"

Hurriedly they all withdrew, but on reaching the barracks were pulled up short. "They've barricaded it sir!" With a shout of rage the leader began to slam his shoulder against the door, hollering for some form of battering ram.

Yells indicating that the scouts were coming echoed down the stone corridors of the castle by the time that they managed to bust their way into the room. Roaring in anger, he saw a flash of brown hair as a figure disappeared into the floor. Taking in the situation at a glance, he raced forwards and grabbed frantically at the final person as they dived for the escape.

A man screamed from outside the room as his hand closed around the ankle of his target and he hauled them up into the air and away from the tunnel which had miraculously appeared. Throwing his captive to the floor, he switched his grip to their collar and held them by their scruff. The figure kicked and gasped, and it was only then that he realised he was holding a young girl. Shaking her until she stopped thrashing, he finally got a good look at who he grasped. His eyes widened and a feral grin split his features. "Bingo."


	20. Chapter 20

"Everyone stand fast! We have the girl and I will not hesitate to harm her if you keep attacking!"  
The voice was hard, every word laden with deadly intent. It lashed out through the thunderous rain, stilling scouts and intruders alike. Moments later the leader of the attackers appeared, holding a wriggling figure by the collar of her shirt, his gun trained against the child even as she fought him.

Levi stared at the picture with an icy hatred which he had not felt in many years coursing through his veins. Not again. He would not let this happen again. Not on another rainy landscape would his soul be washed away. Never again. A thousand and one possibilities were skittering through his disjointed thoughts, schemes and plans concocted and rejected in the space of the same heartbeat even as the intruders had begun to regroup and withdraw across the courtyard to the gate.

He bared his teeth at the ring leader as, aggravated by the child's continued resistance, he viciously lashed her across the face with the butt of his gun, tossing her limp form to one of his subordinates. "Now, now, no need to do anything rash. By rights we should kill you all for your desecration of the sacred walls, but for now we are willing to leave you in peace. We have what we came for. There is no need for you to follow us. She isn't one of your ranks anyway."

Unable to contain himself, Levi stepped forwards, "There is no way in hell I am letting you leave this place alive. Especially not with the kid."  
The fanatic's eyes widened at the sight of Humanity's Strongest, his breath hissing through gritted teeth as he froze mid step. "You! You dare address me- heathen? You are the worst of all, the greatest violator of out blessed Walls!"

Faint tremors seemed to run through the man's body, a manic gleam lighting his features as his men shifted uncertainly. The one still holding Elsie stepped closer, muttering something to his leader which the man shrugged off. "No! This man is almost solely responsible for the continued suffering of humanity. If it wasn't for him all would be at peace!"

Almost of its own free will, his gun rose into position…

There was a faint whistle, followed by a meaty thump and an agonised scream as an arrow seemed to sprout of its own accord from the shoulder of the man holding the girl. He released the child and the pair hit the cobbles, the child looking around blearily as her handler rolled around groaning and clutching at the feathered shaft embedded in his flesh.

Whipping his head briefly to the side, Levi saw the liberated cadets come charging out of a side door to the castle, Sasha already knocking another arrow to the string of her bow. The dog had come with them, hackles raised and growling threateningly.

Everything seemed to happen at once. Howling with anger, the Wallist leader sighted his gun on the Captain, apparently abandoning all sense and reason as the gravity of the situation hit him. Sasha drew back the bow string, taking desperate aim. Levi watched with fascinated horror as in slow motion the man pulled on the trigger of his weapon.

There was a sudden flash of motion, and a child's voice cut across all other sounds, a desperate scream of a single word, "NOOO!"

A single crack of a gunshot, an impact which sent the Captain crashing to his knees in the mud and water. Briefly he registered the look of shock plastered across the attacker's features as Braus' arrow sunk into his throat and he dropped lifeless to the ground.

Looking down at himself, he saw the crimson seeping into his clothes, a hideously dark shade of red which he had seen too many times over the years. And his calm façade shattered into oblivion as he clutched at the child who had just saved his life. He had no idea how she had crossed the space between them so swiftly, she must have been nearly flying just like that first day on the assault course.

Now though, she was still, slumped over in a puddle which was turning pink, then darker. Throwing his head back, he screamed for a medic, desperately holding onto the child as if his arms alone could keep her there. He was ignoring the filth staining his clothes as he knelt on the muddy cobbles, the other people who had gathered around shouting in shock and horror as they saw what had happened. He frantically lifted the girl into his arms, supporting her head in the crook of his elbow as he began to carry her bridal style towards the castle and infirmary.

From behind him came faint cries as the attackers tried to flee and were met with swift judgement, around were the scouts all trying to make sense of what had just happened, but all he heard was her laboured breathing as it hitched in her chest.

Her half lidded eyes were glassy, focusing on something that he couldn't and didn't want to see.  
"Come on brat, stay with me, we are almost there. You can't go out like this- that is an order you hear me? I expressly forbid you to give up now, cadet. Why did you do it? And… you spoke! You said your first word…"

Mindlessly he kept talking to the sodden bundle in his arms, even as he pounded up the stairs and into the infirmary, anything to try and keep her grounded. Laying her on the bed, it was only then that he noticed the dog had followed, lying beneath the tiny human's bed and whining softly as he nuzzled the barely twitching fingers hanging over the side. He realised Hanji was beside him, registering her presence as she tried to assess the girl's wound with a grim expression.

As he stared down at the tiny figure, it suddenly struck him just how small and vulnerable she truly was. It felt as if he had been the one shot, a fierce pain eating through his chest as he saw her lying there apparently fading fast…

Unable to bear it, he knelt beside the bed, clutching onto her hand which felt so incredibly cold in his own. The cadets had all followed them up, and were now hovering at the edges of the room, Krista and Sasha crying softly. Surprisingly it was Armin who had the presence of mind to step forwards and begin to help Hanji as she exposed the bullet hole in the child's abdomen, rolling her slightly to get a look at the gaping tear in her back where it had exited her flesh. There was the sound of gagging and suddenly Jean and Connie had left the room.

Hanji spared a glance at the rest of them, "Look, I need you all to clear out so I can work. Everyone except Arlet and Levi- scram. I will let you know later how she is doing, but right now you are all a distraction that I cannot afford. Go see what Erwin needs you for be it debriefing or clear up or something…" and she went back to probing her patient.

A small, agonised gasp came from the child, and Levi suddenly noticed that her eyes had reopened, stark and stormy against her too pale face.  
"Crap, I can't sedate her at the moment- she has lost too much blood and the drugs could stop her heart in this condition. She's going to go into shock if we aren't careful. Levi for the love of god keep talking to her, try and keep her still at least. This is going to hurt…"

Nodding, he caught attention of the now panting child, who stared at him with incomprehension at the pain surging through her.  
"Hey there brat, I know, I know it hurts. You've just got to hang on you hear me? I meant it before- you do not have permission to die on me now. Hey, how about you say something to me? I know you can- you actually shouted just a little while ago. You of all people! Almost scared me to death." He chuckled slightly, lamely, waiting for her to react…

Her eyes squeezed shut, and her tiny hand clenched onto his with surprising force in response to something which Hanji muttered an apology for. Her breathing was harsh and fast, and then he heard something else… "Le-vi…"

He gaped at her for a second, before nodding and clutching her hands even more, "Yes- well done kid!"  
"F-found my v-v-voice a-gain." It was breathy and faint, a slight tightness from pain and a hesitancy no doubt from long disuse. "Thought I w-would b-be silent f-f-for good." And she smiled weakly for a second before torment wracked her body yet again and she couldn't muffle a gasping scream, beginning to thrash.  
"Hey, brat, you have to hold still ok? If you don't… just do it for me ok? Keep still and it will be over soon I promise."  
"P-promise?"  
"Yes, I promise."  
"I p-promise… promised t-too… k-kept my w-word… or tried… d-don't be a-a-angry… t-tried…"

She was rambling, a slurring jumble of sounds which were heart breaking to hear in her tone of regret and fear. Levi had no idea who she thought she was talking to, but clearly she believed it important that they heard what she said. Her eyes had closed again, skin pale and clammy as she sweated in pain and what he thought might be the beginnings of a fever. God, in her state that might just finish her off.

Time had no meaning in that room, as Hanji and Arlet frantically worked to stem the flow of blood, to reconnect that which had been torn asunder, to fix something which seemed so far beyond mortal ability. The unconscious child at first reacted to their work despite her stupor, but gradually even that measure of fight faded until she lay still and quiet except for her rattling breaths.

At one point in the endless battle for her life, even those ceased, it taking a minute for any of them to realise that she had quit struggling all together. With this, something seemed to snap inside the scientist and she began frantically beating on the girl's chest, forcing air into her lungs as Armin injected something into her arm. All he could do was hold onto her limp hand, begging her with his mind to breathe again.

Eventually she did, a deep gasping for air which electrified Hanji who worked even more feverishly than before…

Hours and hours and hours later, Petra found her Captain sitting with his back against the wall outside his quarters, staring at nothing and still dressed in the clothes drenched with the blood of the child. Wisely choosing to remain silent, she helped get him cleaned up, tucking him into his bed with slightly more than maternal affection. She didn't ask, because she knew that he wouldn't be able to tell.

Instead, she left him to sleep as he so desperately needed to, the exhaustion finally claiming his senses with a welcome numbness and silence.


	21. Chapter 21

She was floating, almost carelessly suspended in an endless ocean of darkness. There was no thought or feeling in this place, no sensation in her limbs, just a heavy warmness which seemed strangely comforting. Elsie had no idea how she had reached this place, and at that moment she frankly didn't care. It was surprisingly wonderful, to feel held, weightless, beyond all of those cares which had been weighing her down far more than any child should be.

Time had no meaning, something which probably should have been disconcerting, but the child simply could not find enough energy to worry about it. And so, she drifted…

Wait a moment, there was a memory- an intrusion of rationality on this soothing plain. It must have been important to grab her attention, and so she summoned what small strength she could and tried to focus in on the distraction. It was a hazy, flickering thing, a brief shot of sensations which washed over her mind in the space of a breath and vanished. Curiously, she briefly analysed what the burst had consisted of. _Voices, shouts, blinding whiteness ripping through her body. A pressure on her hand, and then again on her chest, sounds which were a lot like the voice she had long ago forsaken, had she spoken? And underneath it all had been a steadily pulsing current of magenta agony._

But that was all gone now. Here, in this place was only the blissful silence which enveloped every fibre of her- _hang on a minute: how could a feeling be a colour?_ There was the tiniest intrusion of logic, the briefest flash of actual thought in the surrounding black. Latching on to this fragment of lucidity, she examined the truth of the idea. It didn't make sense- it was illogical and flawed. Something in her slowly awoke…

 _I shouldn't be here…_ for some reason that felt right, as if she had finally acknowledged something that she had been pointlessly ignoring. The surrounding darkness no longer held the same appeal, not when the sense that she should be somewhere else kept intruding. A new certainty settled over her, a determination to understand this sensation.

Slowly, something new filtered through, something that hadn't come from her own imagination. Sounds, a voice, which both pleaded and commander her.  
"Wake up…"

Like a spark in the night, it flared in her consciousness, acting like a beacon. Feeling as if she were wading through water, she began to strike out towards it with growing urgency. It was an anchor, that voice, a guide to what she realised was reality. The black was fading, becoming more twilight than midnight, almost as if her growing awareness was a rising sun inside her own head.

And then she… _felt._ All remained in darkness, but there was suddenly sensations piercing through the fog of her mind. Something soft beneath her fingertips, a heavy weight resting on her leg, a faint yet familiar smell. Without thinking, her fingers automatically went to stroke the fur beneath them, although they only managed a twitch. Even so, that slight control of her own limbs gave her the confidence to try again. _What if I were to try and open my eyes…_

Levi, according to Hanji, looked like shit. And although he wouldn't admit it, he felt like it too. Three days, three days had passed since the attack on the castle, three days since the girl in the bed beside him had saved his life. Three days in which she had lain unmoving and oblivious to the world.

He looked at the unconscious child, and felt something constrict in his chest. She was so small and pale, so vulnerable, and yet so brave. Her dog was curled up next to her on the bed, despite his previous protests that animals should not be allowed in the infirmary. Trying separate them had been hopeless, any attempts being met with a fierce growl as the hound stood guard over the child. Gradually the Captain had come to accept the dog's presence, perhaps even to find it comforting as they sat vigil together.

The cadets had all been dropping by periodically, Sasha and Mikasa sitting beside the girl for the longest stretches, both talking to her about random and inconsequential things. Erwin had stopped by for at least ten minutes every day, and Pixis had come all the way from Garrison HQ when he heard the news, visiting the child for over two hours with an expression which was almost heart breaking. His own squad had been stopping by at almost hourly intervals to check on her condition.

In fact, it had surprised Levi just how many people had visited her. Apparently the silent child had somehow managed to make friends with almost every person on the base. Not just the cadets, but nearly all of the scouts had peeked in at some point or another, enough bunches of flowers being left to make the room look like a garden. Although he hated the thought of the potential bugs, he let them be, realising that they needed some way to express their feelings over events. Petra in particular had brought some especially bright bouquets, trying hard to find the wildflowers which she knew the child loved.

Then the general staff who looked after the castle had been dropping in, the cooks bringing a box of cookies, the stable hands delivering a card they had all signed. It was as if the entire corps had become centred on this child who had managed to impact all their lives in ways they hadn't even realised until they faced losing her. For some reason, these people who had all lost so much many times over, seemed to draw a line in the sand over the life of this one girl.

He leaned forwards slightly in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees, and sighed. "Honestly, brat, you have managed to turn this place upside down." There was no response at his words, there never was, but he still kept talking. "I have never seen anything like it… you really are causing some chaos you know. And you know how I dislike an untidy or distracted corps. So… just wake up already. You hear me?"

Agitated, he ran a hand through his hair, looking at the dog who was staring at the child with liquid brown eyes. As he watched, the animal lowered his head onto the girl's lap, nudging it forwards until it rested beneath her limp hand. The dog whined softly.

And then Levi saw it. Very faintly, the fingers of the hand resting on the dog, twitched. It was only for a second, before they were still again, but he knew he had seen it. Somewhere, deep within, the girl had reacted to the familiar presence, wishing to stroke the ears of her mutt as she had so many times before.

"Hey, kid, come on, wake up. I know you are in there somewhere. Come on Elsie, wake up." He was speaking with a new sense of urgency, a strange flutter of… hope? Stirred in his core.

The fingers twitched again, stronger this time, gently running along the silky ear of the dog who started nuzzling in closer to the girl. His tail had started thumping against the bed covers, and to the Captain's faint disgust the dog began to lick the girl's arm. Turning, Levi hollered for Hanji to come quickly, the scientist in question bursting out of her lab at the tone of his voice, just as the dog gave an exited bark from the bed.

Turning back, he watched with his heart in his mouth as the child's eyes flickered, and slowly opened. Hanji pushed past him, running to her patient. "Elsie? Elsie can you hear me?" The girl blinked, staring at the woman groggily and shifting her head into a faint nod. The adult's face broke into an irrepressible smile. "Oh thank god, you really gave us a scare there missy!"

The girl smiled faintly at the tone, understandably still looking as if she wasn't quite sure of her surroundings yet. Her gaze travelled around the room, settling first on the dog who seemed ready to wag his tail off as she gave him a proper scratch behind his ears.

A moment later and tiredness seemed to suddenly claim her. But before it could, she noticed the Captain sitting in an uncomfortable chair at her side, although the image was already becoming blurry as her eyelids began to drift closed once again. Something clicked in her muzzy brain, a memory of a voice, _her voice_ … "H-hey big b-bro…" and she was gone again, eyes closing and breathe evening out.

Hanji saw something in Levi's face then, "It's alright- she just fell asleep…"  
"I know, it's not that." There was a catch in his tone which she couldn't identify.  
"Levi?"  
He turned to her, and she almost did a double take as she saw emotion swamp his eyes and threaten actual tears. "She called me… big bro… just like…"  
"… oh god, just like Isobel." And suddenly she understood the swirling pain behind his expression. For a moment she was unsure of what to say, what to do. He was clearly distraught as memories long buried rose up from the depths of his soul.

It turned out that she didn't need to say anything at all, as after a brief internal struggle, the taciturn clean freak Captain who she called a friend… smiled.


	22. Chapter 22

A massive cheer went up in the mess hall that evening when the Commander announced that Elsie had woken up and looked set to make a full recovery, the most noise being made by the trainee's table, who for once were not shushed. Almost at once, Sasha and Connie had begun to form plans of a party for when the girl could leave the infirmary, suggestions being given from all sides for ever more elaborate celebrations. A tension which had been building up since the attack was for the first time put aside, laughing and shouting once again taking over the meal time.

However, not everyone joined in the jubilations. Leaving the corps to their plans, the senior staff all slipped out of the hall, reconvening in Erwin's office for a more serious discussion. Easing into the oversized chair behind his desk, the Commander glanced at each of his subordinates in turn.  
"First off, I would like to say well done to Hanji for her skills which saved Elsie's life."  
For once the incorrigible woman had no smart comeback and just blushed right to the roots of her messy pony tail.

"Now that the child is starting to recover, it might be time to get some answers to some pretty important questions. At the top of the list are: was she the real target of the attack by the Wallists, and what exactly is the story behind her being here in the process. Hanji- how soon do you reckon we can start getting some clarity on this?"  
The scientist chewed her lip in thought for a moment, "Well, she is obviously still rather out of it, I doubt she will be able to tell us much for at least another day. However, she does seem to be talking now. For some reason whatever was holding her back before was broken when… well… ahem, be that as it may, she still may not be willing to tell us everything."

Erwin nodded along, clearly thinking of possible ways to encourage the girl to open up to them. "Levi, I would like you to take point on that- she seems to have built a bit of a bond with you and would be more likely to share."  
"Also Sasha, Petra, and possibly Mikasa," Hanji chipped in, "they seem to have a bit of a rapport as well."  
Once Levi had nodded his agreement, the Commander sat back and rubbed a hand across his tired eyes. "You know, part of me thinks we are going to learn some things we may not like."

The other two blinked at this human moment being shown by their superior, it wasn't often he let his guard down even to them. A moment later the weakness was gone, and he drew himself up in his seat. "Alright, until then: Levi I want you to actually go get some sleep. You have been in that infirmary for three days straight and you are starting to look like death warmed up. And yes- that is an order. I would say the same to you too Hanji. As of tomorrow we need to start preparing for out next mission beyond the walls, and I need you both in peak condition."

The pair glanced at each other slightly sheepishly, feeling for a second like kids being told off. Taking it as a dismissal, they both about turned and left the office. Once in the corridor, Levi turned briefly to his friend, "Hey, shitty glasses, I just… wanted to say thanks, myself."

For once she didn't tease, accepting his words with a worn smile, and he suddenly realised just how tired she looked. They parted ways, each heading to get some much needed rest, finally able to close their eyes with a measure of peace.


	23. Chapter 23

The first things Elsie became aware of, were the warmth from late afternoon sunlight streaming through the infirmary window, and another presence next to her bed. Opening bleary eyes, she knew at once that it was not the Captain simply because their shape was too tall for that. Sleepily, she reached up with one hand and scrubbed the grit from her vision, smiling as Sasha came into focus.

The older girl had been staring at a corner of the room, lost in thought, but her attention was snagged by the movement from the bed, eyes lighting up.  
"Yay you have finally woken up again! Honestly- you sleep enough for the entire regiment." It was said teasingly, yet at the same time there seemed to be an undercurrent of guilt to the words, the reason for her long rest weighing on both their minds briefly. Then the irrepressible teenager mentally shook herself and beamed at the child. "Well, now you are awake it is my official job to keep you amused. Sound like a plan?"

"Yes." They both seemed startled by her response, the elder's jaw almost hitting the floor, whilst the younger's hand flew to her mouth with an almost comically shocked expression.  
"We heard that you were talking. Honestly not many of us believed it… this is brilliant! We can actually chat now!" her eagerness was infectious, and soon both of them were laughing.

Eventually they calmed down and Sasha stared at the girl expectantly, who squirmed a little under the attention. "Oh, sorry, guess you aren't used to starting a conversation really? Hmm, let me kick it off then… do you want to hear about what the 'disaster squad' have been up to over the last couple of days?"  
The girl nodded eagerly, and then almost timidly said, "That would be nice. Thank you."  
"Alright then. Just for the record by the way, I think you have a very good voice. I am glad you have found it again…"  
For a moment the girl looked a little surprised by this, before smiling softly and looking down.

Taking a breath, Sasha decided to save the child from further embarrassment. "Ok, well where to begin… how about the tale of the mystery of Captain Levi's missing mop?" and with that she was off, prattling away about the thousand and one little incidents which made up corps life, telling of the latest pranks, fights and miniature dramas. She was further encouraged as the child would sometimes laugh along, or interject some small comment as she apparently grew in confidence with her own ability to speak.

It was in the middle of a particularly amusing story concerning Jean, Eren and a bottle of hair dye, that Sasha was suddenly interrupted by a gurgling rumble from the child, who flushed red and clapped a hand to her stomach. The older girl grinned, "Here's me, going on, and you must be starving to death- you haven't eaten for ages after all. Have no fear- I shall roam the farthest reaches of this land (or at the very least raid the kitchens) and get you some grub." And she struck what she probably fondly imagined to be a heroic pose.

Elsie giggled at her friend's antics, "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"  
Sasha was already heading for the door, turning back with a warm smile, "Not at all. I will be back before you know it." And with a small wave she slipped from the room.

True to her word, it was only about ten minutes later that she came back, with not just a tray of food but also an entourage in tow. Having apparently seen her on her errand, the entire trainee squadron had tagged along to see the girl now that she was awake. Considering the traditional gravity for visiting someone in the infirmary, they started off making an admirable attempt to tone down their special brand of madness.

At least until Elsie caught sight of a faint purple tinge to the roots of Jean's hair which made her break out laughing as she remembered the story Sasha had been partway through. That was all it took before the boy launched himself at Jaeger, the pair starting to wrestle around the room until Mikasa took one by the collar in each hand and held them apparent with an expression of annoyance.

The sight of them dangling like puppies being held by their scruffs made Elsie double over laughing, louder than any had heard her before, holding her side and gasping as pain flared up but unable to stop giggling helplessly. Soon the others had joined in, unable to resist at the expressions being pulled by both boys, even Mikasa's mouth twitching up slightly at the corners as she finally the set two down.

Explaining that they had been given a break from cleaning in order to come and see her, they were apparently making a special effort to be on their best behaviour, but being who they were there was only so long that could last. At Sasha's and Connie's encouragement, she worked her way through the tray of food, eagerly polishing off the bread, stew, and extra-large helping of pudding and custard which had been sent by the cooks as a special treat for the child. As was her habit, she still gave the meat to her dog who hadn't left her side, to the amusement of Armin who seemed to realise how that must have been aggravating the Captain. Meanwhile, she watched with a happy expression on her face as the group around her fought, played and joked.

Occasionally she would even pause between bites and offer her own comments, which were met with looks of surprise and then delight as they adjusted to her apparent willingness to speak. With a full belly, surrounded by friends, she leaned back onto her pillows which Krista had thoughtfully adjusted to keep her sitting up.

It was only after twenty minutes had passed that Krista looked over at the patient and hurriedly shushed her friends. With a strangely peaceful look on her young face, the girl had apparently fallen asleep again, worn out by all the excitement. Gently, Armin eased the tray from her lap, ready to take it back to the kitchen as the others got up as quietly as they could. For the space of a second, they all looked back at the sleeping child and seemed to share a bittersweet moment which was hard to define, before they closed the door softly behind them.


	24. Chapter 24

Levi was heading slowly for his room, footsteps dragging slightly as weariness which he could usually manage to ignore for some reason caught up to him all at once. It had been another late session of planning in Erwin's office, as they adjusted headings and goals for the upcoming operation beyond the walls. Between needing to prove Eren's usefulness to the higher ups in the Capital and trying to minimise potential casualties amongst the new recruits, there was a hell of a lot of factors to consider.

More than that, there was the added complication of the insurgent who had killed Hanji's test subjects, another potential threat to the success of their mission. He couldn't shake the feeling that Erwin was right about that having something to do with Elsie's story. Or perhaps the two things were entirely separate, it being a complete coincidence that the Wallists and some unknown faction chose to attack the Scouts almost simultaneously. He snorted to himself. _Yeah, and maybe the titans will all drop dead at once._

All in all it had been a particularly gruelling session, attempting to second guess enemies both within and without the Scouting Legion. The very fact that it was necessary was a frustration. Didn't humanity have enough to deal with in the form of hungry giants? Not for the first time, he felt a stirring of disgust over human nature.

It was just as he was about to open the door to his room that a faint sound caught his attention, a muffled thump. Puzzled, he paused for a moment, about to ignore it and go to his welcoming bed, when frantic barks echoed down the corridor. That could only mean one thing. Not missing a beat, Humanity's Strongest broke into a run for the infirmary.

Elsie wasn't entirely sure what had woken her. On opening her eyes it was clear that the only occupants of the room were her and her dog, silver moonlight showing an otherwise bare infirmary. Honestly things were a little bit fuzzy around the edges, which the girl guessed probably had something to do with the shot which Hanji had given her to help with the pain. It was something she was grateful for, her wound only sending occasional twinges which she could pretty much ignore. Speaking of which, there was a faint wave of pain coming from her middle at that moment- was that what had drawn her from her dreams?

Grimacing slightly at the discomfort, she made to adjust her position, starting to turn onto her side and settle down more comfortably. Facing the wall, she let her eyes slowly drift shut…

A fierce lance of blinding agony ripped through her entire being. For a moment she lay paralysed as a sickening wave of pure pain seemed to radiate from her centre and light every nerve in her body on fire simultaneously. She gasped, wanting to scream but not having enough breath in her lungs. As if her will had been isolated from the rest of her, each limb began to shake and spasm out of control, causing her to thrash out of the bed, hitting the floor with a solid thump.

Another flash of pain, scorning the medication which had been pumped into her veins, lashed her like lightning. Suddenly her stomach decided to heave and she emptied her lunch onto the wooden floorboards, using her fading consciousness to desperately try and turn her head to avoid choking. Faintly she thought she could hear her dog barking his head off, and wanted to reach out to comfort him, tell him she would be alright.

But then all control of her body was stolen away by yet another pulse agony, this time darkness claiming her mind which she almost embraced as a release…

Levi came bursting through the infirmary door just as Hanji came charging from her adjoining lab where she had apparently fallen asleep yet again. She was carrying a lamp which shed light on the scene before them. Elsie was lying on the floor in what seemed to be a pool of her own vomit, apparently in the grip of a fierce seizure, as her dog was barking desperately standing over her.

Acting on instinct honed through experience, the scientist wasted no time dashing across and hastily shoving a wooden stick which she randomly had in her pocket, between the girl's teeth so she wouldn't bite her own tongue. Hurriedly she worked to secure airways, take vitals, snapping at Levi to come and help her.

He did everything she directed in stony silence, only remembering to breathe when the shaking finally began to subside. When at long last it was over, they lifted her back onto the bed as he cleaned the mess from her limp form. It was actually surprising to see how maternally the usually manic Hanji tucked the unconscious child in. At least until she turned to face Levi, and he saw the glint of pure murder in her eyes. He didn't think that she had ever looked as dangerous or frightening in the whole time he had known her.

"What happened?" he spoke softly, locking his gaze with hers, not flinching at the venom in them.  
"You see the white crescents on her nails? She was poisoned. They poisoned her. A CHILD!" the last was whisper-shouted, and he hurriedly tried to hush her. "I am not going to let them get away with this. When I catch these bastards…" her tone sent a shiver down his spine.

"As soon as she is able to talk, we are going to have to get her to tell us everything. Forget trying to coax it from her. This is clearly a matter of life and death. And I refuse to lose her now."  
The woman nodded at his words, "Promise me one thing Levi? Once we get to the bottom of this, and we find the twisted bastard who did this…" she fixed him with a chilling stare and hissed through her clenched teeth: "They are MINE."


	25. Chapter 25

Waking up was not a pleasant experience this time. Elsie felt as if there was sand in her eyes and cotton wool in her head. Every limb was heavy, and her stomach felt almost distended, filled with a roiling mass of acids. There was an acrid taste in her mouth, making her want to rinse it out with water. In short, everything felt awful.

After about twenty minutes of Hanji fussing around and making sure that her patient was fully alert and aware, if exhausted, she ushered in Erwin and Levi. There was a slightly awkward moment as the two men pulled up seats, settling down yet seeming vaguely uncomfortable.  
"Ok brat, I am going to get right to the point. We need you to tell us everything."

Although the girl knew that this would eventually happen, she couldn't help the expression of despair and reluctance which flashed across her young face. Hanji leaned forwards. "We know this is not something you want to talk about, but I also know you realise how important this information could prove to us. If it would make it easier, I could ask a couple of your friends to be here- for moral support as it were."

She considered this for a moment, torn between not wanting anybody to know, and at the same time thinking that if her story was finally to be told, she would rather just get it over with. Added to that, the hurt, scared, child thought that right then, a little extra comfort would not go amiss.  
"Maybe… Sasha… Mikasa…?"

The scientist nodded, as if pleased that her hypothesis had been right, and a moment later the two cadets came in from where they had been on standby just outside. This did earn a small smile from the child, which grew slightly as Sasha ran over and enveloped her in a hug, settling on the edge of the infirmary bed as Mikasa went to lean against the wall.

Once everyone was settled, the girl opened her mouth… then hesitated as if unsure of how to begin. For the space of two heartbeats there was only silence, and then she seemed to remember something and sat up a little straighter. "The only story I have ever been told started with 'once upon a time'… I guess that is how I should begin…

Once upon a time, there was a land surrounded by walls, giant barriers supposed to keep humanity safe from the titans which hunted us. Naturally, the sheer presence of these walls was impressive enough to inspire some to actually worship them, these people eventually organising themselves into the Wallist Cult with which people are familiar.

However, what most are unaware of, is that some people took this belief even further, until eventually an extremist faction of Wallists emerged and established what I guess you could call a colony against the inner base of wall Rose. Honestly, it was more like a training camp, a pseudo-military base. See, this faction not only believed that the walls were heaven sent, but also that the titan scourge was a punishment brought upon humanity by those who dared step beyond their boundaries. Basically they formed a sort of anti-scout league. One not squeamish about taking drastic measures if they were ever deemed necessary.

If you are wondering how I became mixed up with them, the answer is pretty simple but not something I like to dwell on…" here she paused, swallowing slightly, until Sasha gently squeezed her hand. The child took a deep breath. "The short version is that… my village… my family… when wall Maria fell… they didn't…" She inhaled again, holding in the air for a moment before letting it out. "After that, I was all alone. I just remember my mother shouting for me to run, pulling me along one second, and then there was a rush as something moved past me… and she was gone… and everything was covered in red… and I kept running. I ran and ran until eventually my lungs and legs gave out. I climbed a tree when I finally had to sleep… and the next day I ran again. I just kept doing that, over and over, until one day I came to the next wall.

I couldn't go any further, so I just… stopped. I didn't know what to do, so I ended up just sitting in the dirt, staring at the wall. After what seemed like a very long time, I noticed figures moving around on top of the wall. I guess they spotted me too, as eventually they crossed the wall- using the same gear that you guys do."

Erwin raised an eyebrow at this- a crazy cult had access to military equipment?

"I suppose I could say that they took me in… honestly it felt more like I had been captured. It seemed that they were always looking for new 'help' for the base, and with the amount of refugees flooding into the safe zones, who would notice if a few went missing? I had a roof over my head, clothes on my back, one meal a day. That is a lot more than many- I know that. I also had chains on my ankles, wounds on my skin, fear in my heart. You can decide whether I was lucky or not… I honestly don't know…

I think I was eight when everything changed yet again, although I am not exactly sure how old I actually am. It was then that I first met my dog, in fact he was the reason for everything that happened afterwards. I don't know why I first noticed him= one day I was tending to the crops in the fields, and this scrawny mutt just appeared out of the corn stalks. He looked as I felt. And that was that.

Obviously there was no way I would ever be allowed a pet, so I chose to hide him in one of the old tool sheds. I would sneak out there everyday, or at least whenever I could. I split my meal with him, even though it meant that I was hungrier. I just couldn't leave him. He was always glad to see me, would always wag his tail and lick my hand. I was his and he was mine, the first thing to love me since my mum…"

She broke off the story, giving the dog in question a brief hug with a small sob. Pulling herself back together, she kept stroking the animal's ears as she continued. "This went on for several weeks, until one day when I had made a mistake in the kitchen and accidently slashed my palm open with a knife. I was beaten to within an inch of my life for my clumsiness and confined to my cell without human contact for three days.

This had meant that nobody had been feeding or visiting my dog for that same amount of time, so as soon as I was released, even though it was dusk and it still hurt to walk, I ran to his den. Luckily it seemed he had somehow managed to catch his own food whilst I had been away, but he still went crazy when I came for him.

I don't know if I fell asleep or unconscious, but the next thing I knew the moon had risen, and there were voices in the dark. In all the time I had been there, of course nobody had wanted to hear from a piece of filth, and so I had long before stopped talking… I don't think I really remembered how to… but I was good at listening. Of these voices though, I only recognised that of the cult Commander. Someone else was there, someone who I had never heard before.

Curious, I crept out of the shed, dog following, and worked my way around the building until I reached the edge nearest the woods. That was when I saw the man. I couldn't help but overhear what they were discussing, although I didn't understand a lot of it at the time. I was going to leave, to return to my cell before anyone realised I was even missing. But that man… somehow… he knew I was there.

Stopping mid conversation, he called for me to show myself, and he smiled…" she shuddered at the memory, and for a moment she was back in her nightmares _a wide smile, greedy eyes, a hand reaching out…_ before she was started back to the present by Mikasa clearing her throat loudly, and Sasha giving her shoulder a gentle shake.

Erwin leaned over and murmured low into Hanji's ear, "That drawing… the one you showed me… I don't think that was a titan after all…"

Elsie forced her emotions back. She nearly done anyway, might as well get it over with completely. "I ran. Despite my chains, I ran faster than I had ever done before, faster even than when I lost everything the first time. Into the woods, through the trees, I had no idea where I was going, just that I had to keep moving. It was no good, I could hear him catching up to me, and I knew with complete certainty that I was going to die.

I don't know why, but I couldn't take the thought of being taken down as I fled, so instead I darted behind a tree, and as he passed I stuck out my foot. It worked, and when he went down I used my shackles to crack him around the back of his head.

That was when I realised that the dog was gone. I was alone, I was lost… but he came back, he led me to what looked like a cave, and with no other options we decided to hide there. Only it wasn't really a cave at all. It was a tunnel. There were no other options open, so we followed it. I don't know how far or for how long we travelled underground. At some point I realised that when I fought back my chains had been damaged enough that with a lot of patience, and after losing a fair bit of skin, I was eventually able to wriggle my wrists free.

Turns out there was a whole network of tunnels and shafts, branching off of each other in hundreds of twists and directions. I just followed a random route. Eventually we reached a patch of daylight, from a hole in the ceiling where there had been some kind of cave in, which we could scramble up. Back on the surface, there was nothing else to do but keep walking. The dog saved my life, managing to hunt enough for the both of us, although I made do with wild fruits and nuts when there was nothing else. Learned the hard way which were actually edible…

Long story short, one day we stumbled across this place. It was empty, and it offered shelter. Figured we might as well move in as we had nowhere else to go. I found the secret passages in the walls and floors whilst exploring- they are pretty extensive, but I had soon figured my way around them. Turned out to be a good thing, as one morning there were suddenly people around.

Frankly, I was scared. As you have realised, I didn't have any reason to even think of trusting you lot. Humans had always been dangerous. So I hid in the passages. I am sorry- I stole your food, and made people believe that there were ghosts in the attack by making noises from inside the walls so you would all avoid that area as much as possible- that way I could have more space.

But it only lasted a couple of weeks. I had cut myself on an old nail and was looking for something to clean it with in the infirmary when I heard lots of people coming, so I did the only thing I could think of and hid under the bed… and obviously you lot all know the rest…"

Total silence had fallen, everyone hanging on her words with a mixture of expressions and emotions playing across their faces. Sasha had tears openly running down her face, and gathered the child into a tight hug as if she would never let her go. Mikasa even came over and silently joined them in a display of affection completely out of character for her. Hanji was sniffing a good deal and polishing her glasses intently, whilst Levi's face was in total lock down as he rigidly masked his thoughts and feelings from the others.

Erwin cleared his throat. "I thank you, Elsie, for your honesty. I know that could not have been easy to tell us. Even so, what you have just said could very well prove to be the most valuable information that we have gathered for a very long time. I just have a couple of points I would like to expand on- unless you object?"

The girl was exhausted, she had not said so much in so short a time… well, ever. Her side was starting to burn again, and her head was feeling even worse. Despite all of this, she nodded for the commander to continue.

"Firstly, just to confirm- there is a militaristic group of Wallist fanatics who seem to specifically wish to target the Survey Corps, and who apparently have access to military equipment?"  
She nodded.  
"I see." He registered the information with barely a bat of an eye. "And finally, I wondered if you could give us any more on the tunnel system you described? What exactly do you mean by extensive?"

"Well Commander, it seemed to have multiple routes and branches off, and although it was almost impossible to tell from being underground, my gut says that at least some of them went in the direction of wall Maria."  
"Wait, so you are saying…"  
"Yes- I am pretty sure that there is a tunnel which goes underneath the walls and into what is now titan territory. In fact, I would bet that there is a secret passage leading all the way to the end of the walls themselves… and into the lands outside."


	26. Chapter 26

It had been two days since her revelations, and in that time the cadets had been almost unable to visit the child due to the intensity of their training regime. With the upcoming expedition, and rumours of last minute plan changes, they were being worked almost to the bone as the scouts tried to impart to the trainees a life time's worth of survival instincts in a matter of weeks.

She completely understood this, welcomed it even as it meant that her friends might be able to make it through the trials ahead. However, that did not stop Elsie becoming incredibly bored as she just lay around in the infirmary. The first day had gone by incredibly slowly, even though she seemed to sleep through most of it, but on the second it felt as if her brain were crying from sheer tedium.

And thus it was that Petra, who had realised that the kid was probably going cabin crazy and so decided to visit, found the girl leaning heavily against one wall whilst clutching her side and trying to get her dog to stop barking.  
"What the hell do you think you are doing? You're gonna tear your stitches out!"

There was no audible response from the child except a harsh panting from pain, the air whistling from between her clenched teeth. With a decidedly motherly air, the soldier hurried across, scooping up the child and depositing her back into her bed. After a brief check to ensure that she hadn't in fact caused any further damage to herself, the redhead stood before her with crossed arms and a tapping foot.  
"I… umm… wanted to go for a wander…"  
"Hmph, you are in no condition to be walking anywhere young lady. Honestly, you are going to be the death of me one of these days."  
"I'm sorry… I just, I was lonely, so I thought I would go and watch the training… or just sit outside for a bit."

Petra actually felt kind of bad for the girl, who was now staring at the floor with a slightly guilty expression. The scout sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Alright, well we can't have you worsening your injury, and trust me it will take a lot longer to heal if you don't just sit back and let it. However, I can understand where you are coming from… tell you what- if I take you out for a bit, will you promise not to try pushing yourself and be as good as gold?"

Her reply was rapid nodding with shining eyes. Without further ado, the woman picked the child back up, holding her light frame easily in her arms despite her own small stature.  
"All aboard the Petra express!"  
The little girl was giggling, eyes bright at the thought of having some fun.  
"Oh, and whatever you do- don't tell Levi! He would kill- or at least lightly maim- me if he thought I had put you at any risk. You've really got under his skin you know."

They were both slightly breathless by the time they got outside, the older woman finding that the child did not seem so light after all the stairs, whilst the girl in question had been trying not to wince every time she was jostled a little. Eventually though they reached the courtyard which was doubling as the main training arena for the cadets.  
"Ok, here we go. I'm going to leave you here for a bit because I have some things I need to do, but if you start getting tired or anything just shout and I will come running."

The kid was beaming at her, "Thank you so much!" as she made herself comfortable on the stone steps. After a moment's thought, Petra reached up and unclasped her cloak, settling it around the surprised child's shoulders.  
"Can't have you catching a cold. And it is about time you had one anyway."  
"But…"  
"No buts- it suits you. Now are you sure you will be alright here?"  
"Yeah, don't worry. And thanks again!"

With a couple of looks back, the older woman went to find her squad leader, leaving the child to watch with wide eyes the training drills being conducted. It was strangely peaceful, sitting and letting the warmth from the sun seep into her skin, one hand idly stroking her faithful hound. Moreover, watching the cadets training was surprisingly amusing at times, and the girl often found herself giggling at Auroro's attempts to control the unruly bunch, having been put on teaching duty whilst Levi was conferencing with Erwin.

"No, no, no! Honestly you useless greenhorns! What sort of a fighting stance do you call that? Tch. Stupid brats." It seemed he was trying yet again to imitate the Captain, a fact which the rookies were taking the mick out of mercilessly. The second the scout turned his back, about half of the those present started making "Tch" sounds, and someone who sounded a lot like Sasha called out from the back, "Actually we are a bunch of _shitty_ brats."

This last statement caused a round of giggling to break out, especially as they all caught sight of his outraged face. "Alright you lot, take ten laps of the castle!"  
At that an audible groan went up, before the group reluctantly started running.

After just three laps their erstwhile instructor decided to leave them to it whilst he went to attend to some very important business which of course had nothing to do with a certain redhead that he had spotted going into the stables. One lap later, after reassuring herself that he wasn't coming back any time soon, Sasha broke off from the pack and loped over to where she had spotted the wounded girl resting on the steps.

The rest followed, all thoughts of punishment abandoned as they gathered around the child, asking a thousand questions about how she was doing and why she was outside. Briefly she explained about being bored and coming to watch them, at which point a slightly unsettling gleam came into both Sasha and Connie's eyes.

"You know, seeing as how we voted you into our squad, you should really be training with us anyway…"  
"Sasha what are you thinking? The poor girl obviously shouldn't be moving around!"  
"That's my Krista, always looking out for people."  
"Calm down, I wasn't going to suggest anything drastic- although if you are feeling up for a game of 3DM football…"

At that Jean smacked the potato nutter lightly on the back of her head, scoffing at her idiocy.  
Armin piped up into the conversational lull, "What about if we practised our 3DM whilst carrying her? It would be good practice for if anything were to go wrong in the field, like if someone ran out of gas or was injured, and Elsie can also enjoy herself a bit."

And so it was that when Captain Levi finally made it out of his mission briefing and went to search for his squad, he was greeted by the sight of the teenagers supposedly under his command playing what seemed to be a game of 'catch the kid'. Biting back his initial impulse to have a go at them for their potentially disastrous idea after the situation had been explained by a trembling Arlet, internally he actually conceded that it was a relatively sound plan.

Even so, once returned to ground level, the girl was sent back to the infirmary carried by a bickering Jaeger and Kirstein whilst everyone else was excused to tactical theory lessons. It was only when the cadets had been fully scattered to their jobs that the superior officer allowed the smallest of smiles to slip out.


End file.
